Ethereum core dev Federico Carrone was detained for 24 hours in Turkey over alleged ties to a privacy protocol.
The arrest is reportedly linked to a 2022 research paper on Ethereum privacy and Tornado Cash.
Carrone is now free and back in Europe, but the legal case remains unresolved.
The incident underscores growing legal scrutiny of open-source privacy projects in crypto.
Carrone donated $500,000 in ETH to Roman Storm’s defense, showing solidarity within the dev community.
The developer was allegedly accused of facilitating the misuse of an Ethereum-based privacy protocol.
The Crypto Research Document Which Carrone Believes May Have Led To His Detention
Source: Federico Carrone
In a post shared on X on Monday, Carrone wrote:
“I’m finally out, safe and free. There was a small moment where things looked very bad, but thanks to help from many, I got released.”
The arrest has sparked fresh concerns in the crypto community over the criminalization of open-source software and decentralized privacy tools.
Carrone believes the arrest was linked to a 2022 academic paper he co-authored that explored Ethereum privacy protocols, specifically evaluating mixers like Tornado Cash.
The research analyzed how privacy mechanisms work on-chain but did not promote illegal activity. Carrone explained:
“We never helped anyone engage in illegal activity. It was purely research on mixers and their properties.”
The Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs reportedly interpreted the research as “helping others misuse Ethereum.”
This incident mirrors growing global scrutiny of privacy developers. The most high-profile example is the arrest and prosecution of Tornado Cash co-founders Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm.
Storm is currently awaiting a final verdict in the U.S., in a case that could set a legal precedent against open-source privacy tools.
Carrone described how the early hours of his detainment were filled with uncertainty. Authorities had informed him he would be stripped of his phone and cut off from external communication.
Carrone Following His Release From Turkish Authorities
Source: Federico Carrone
However, a wide network of supporters sprang into action, including friends from the UAE, UK, U.S., Europe, and even Argentina. Unexpectedly, members of the Catholic Church and Solana ecosystem also offered support and contacts to help facilitate his release.
Carrone said:
“I will never forget their help and hope to one day give back to everyone who supported me.”
Now back in Europe, Carrone continues to work with legal counsel in Turkey to address the charges.
While free for now, the situation isn’t entirely resolved. Carrone noted that the legal case in Turkey remains active, and his legal team is still trying to understand the full scope of the allegations.
“We still don’t have the full picture of what happened or why it happened, but we will bring in the best team we can and resolve this,” he said. “If needed, once things are sorted out, I will come back to clear my name.”
In a powerful gesture of solidarity, Carrone has donated $500,000 worth of Ethereum to fund Roman Storm’s legal defense.
“Roman’s legal defense matters because builders everywhere need to know they can push innovation forward and that the community will stand behind them when they do.”
This donation highlights the broader theme emerging from the incident, a crypto development community determined to protect the values of decentralization, open-source innovation, and user privacy.
Carrone, an Ethereum core dev, was detained in Turkey over accusations of aiding in the misuse of an Ethereum privacy protocol, allegedly linked to a 2022 research paper analyzing Tornado Cash and Ethereum mixers.
Tornado Cash is an Ethereum-based privacy tool that enables users to anonymize crypto transactions. It has been controversial due to alleged misuse by bad actors.
While he has been released, the legal case in Turkey is ongoing. His legal team is working to understand the full details of the accusations.
Carrone received immediate and widespread support from individuals and organizations across the globe, including the Solana community and even the Catholic Church.
Carrone donated $500K in ETH to support Roman Storm’s legal defense to send a message that the crypto community supports its developers, especially those facing legal pressure for building privacy tools.
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