Ethereum core dev 'safe and free' after being detained in Turkey

Federico Carrone, a privacy-focused Ethereum core developer, confirmed that he has been released after being accused by Turkish authorities of aiding the “misuse” of an Ethereum privacy protocol.

Ethereum core developer Federico Carrone, known as “Fedes Intern” on X, confirmed he has been released after being detained in Turkey for 24 hours over alleged links to a Ethereum privacy protocol.

“Im finally out, safe and free. There was a small moment were things looked very bad but thanks to help from many I got released,” Carrone said in an X post on Monday.

According to Carrone, Turkeys Minister of Internal Affairs accused him of “helping others miuse Ethereum” in alleged connection to a privacy protocol. Carrone said he believes it is linked to a January 2022 research paper that assessed user-privacy on Ethereum and Tornado Cash.

“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

The incident adds to a concerning trend of crypto developers being arrested and detained over connections to open-source privacy protocols — none more notable than Tornado Cash co-creators Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm, who is awaiting a final verdict in a high-profile trial in New York.

That outcome could establish a precedent for criminalizing open-source privacy tools — at least in the US — posing a serious risk to decentralized finance innovation while significantly restricting privacy rights.

Carrone now in Europe after receiving help

While Carrone is now in Europe, he said the situation wasn‘t looking promising early on, having been told he would be stripped of his mobile phone and wouldn’t be able to speak with anyone.

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 CarroneCarrone 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.

“We still dont have the full picture of what happened or why it happened, but we will bring in the best team we can and resolve this,” Carrone said. “If needed, [once] things are sorted out, I will come back to clear my name and defend ourselves.”

Carrone makes massive donation to Storms legal defense

On Tuesday, Carrone said he donated $500,000 worth of Ether (ETH) to assist Storms legal defense in light of what happened to him.

“Romans 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.”