Ethereum’s “Fede’s Intern,” core developer Federico Carrone, endured a harrowing 24 hours in Turkish detention, accused of ties to an Ethereum privacy protocol, before finally being released. The incident, confirmed by Carrone himself on X, has sent ripples through the crypto community, raising concerns about the reach and impact of privacy technology crackdowns.
Carrone’s fingers flew across the keyboard, the words on X trembling with relief: “I’m out. Safe. Free.” A dark cloud had momentarily threatened to swallow him whole, but then, a lifeline appeared. “Thanks to so many who pulled me back from the brink, I’m finally released,” he wrote.
Turkey’s Minister of Internal Affairs has leveled accusations against Carrone, alleging his involvement in the misuse of Ethereum, potentially tied to a privacy protocol. Carrone counters, suggesting the accusations stem from a January 2022 research paper he co-authored, which scrutinized user privacy vulnerabilities on Ethereum and within the Tornado Cash ecosystem. The paper’s exploration of anonymity appears to have triggered the Minister’s concern, raising questions about the boundaries of privacy research and its implications for cryptocurrency regulation.
“We never helped anyone engage in illegal activity, it was purely research on mixers and their properties,” Carrone said.
The privacy-focused crypto research paper that Carrone believes led to his detention Source: Federico Carrone
A chilling wave is sweeping the crypto world: developers are increasingly finding themselves behind bars for simply building open-source privacy tools. The arrests of Tornado Cash’s co-creators, Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm, underscore this alarming trend. With Storm now awaiting judgment in a landmark New York trial, the stakes couldn’t be higher, casting a long shadow over the future of decentralized privacy.
If this legal battle ends poorly, it could set a chilling precedent: turning open-source privacy tools into criminal contraband, at least in the US. Such a ruling would kneecap decentralized finance and leave our privacy rights gasping for air.
Carrone now in Europe after receiving help
Initially, Carrone’s European prospects appeared bleak. He faced the chilling prospect of isolation: his lifeline to the outside world, his mobile phone, threatened to be severed, silencing all communication.
Carrone found himself in dire straits, but then, like a cavalry charge, his international network surged to his rescue. Friends from the UAE, the UK, the US, Europe, and Argentina rallied. Even the Catholic Church lent its weight, contacts reaching out to top-level Turkish officials to secure his freedom.
Even members of the Solana ecosystem provided contacts and offered to assist, Carrone added.
“I will never forget their help and hope to one day give back to everyone who supported me.”
Carrone taking a selfie after being released from Turkish authorities. Source: Federico Carrone
Carrone willing to return to Turkey to resolve it
The case is still ongoing though, according to Carrone, adding that his Turkish attorney is still working on its defense.
“The truth is a puzzle with pieces scattered, but we’ll assemble the sharpest minds to solve it,” Carrone vowed. “Once the dust settles and the full story emerges, I will return, ready to set the record straight and defend our actions.”
Carrone makes massive donation to Storm’s legal defense
Facing a legal tempest, Storm received a half-million dollar lifeline in Ether (ETH) from Carrone on Tuesday, a donation earmarked to fortify his defense.
“For every brick laid, every line of code written, builders forge the future. Roman’s case is a crucible, testing if daring innovation is celebrated or condemned. His defense isn’t just about him; it’s a rallying cry: Will the community protect those who dare to build a bolder tomorrow?”
Thanks for reading Ethereum core dev safe and free after being detained in Turkey
