Ethereum Dev Freed After 24-Hour Detention in Turkey Over Privacy Protocol Links

Building privacy-focused applications has become a major risk and headache for any developer out there.

Recently, Federico Carrone, an Ethereum core developer, was freed after being held in Turkey for a day over accusations linked to blockchain privacy research.

Carrone said Turkish authorities, including the Minister of Internal Affairs, alleged he was “helping others misuse Ethereum”, a vague accusation he rejects.

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However, Carrone believes the detention stems from a paper he co-authored in January 2022 that examined privacy protections on Ethereum and Tornado Cash. He insists the work was academic in nature, focused on the technical properties of mixers, and had no role in facilitating illicit activity.

The Dangers of Privacy Apps For Developers 

His arrest places him among a growing number of developers targeted for work on open-source privacy infrastructure, a pattern that has already seen Tornado Cash creators prosecuted, including Alexey Pertsev, who was sentenced to five years in prison, and Roman Storm, who was found guilty on one charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Storm’s trial in New York is viewed as a potential watershed moment for the legal status of privacy protocols in the US, with many in the crypto community believing this will have far-reaching implications for DeFi innovation and user confidentiality.

It’s worth noting Carrone pledged US$500K (AU$766K) in ETH to Roman Storm’s legal defense, framing it as a “stand for builders’ rights”.

“Builders everywhere need to know they can push innovation forward and that the community will stand behind them when they do,” he said.

While detained, Carrone said he was told he would be cut off from all outside contact. But within hours, contacts from the UAE, UK, US, Europe, Argentina, and even members of the Catholic Church began lobbying senior officials in Turkey. 

There was a moment where I believe if a few of them didn’t intervene things might have gone sour. Thanks to their intervention I could stay with my phone at all time and now I’m back to Europe.

Federico Carrone, Ethereum core developer.

The matter is not closed, and Carrone said his legal representation in Turkey is still working on the case, and he has not ruled out returning to face proceedings once the situation is clearer.

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