Key Takeaways:
- Ethereum developer Federico Carrone was released after 24 hours in Turkish detention over alleged links to a privacy protocol, which he says stemmed from misinterpreted academic research.
- International contacts and community support, including from the Solana community, helped secure his release, though his legal case in Turkey remains active.
- Carrone donated $500,000 in Ether to support Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm’s legal defense, highlighting the importance of protecting open-source developers.
Ethereum core developer Federico Carrone, known as “Fede’s Intern” on X, was released after a 24-hour detention in Turkey over alleged ties to an Ethereum privacy protocol.
Carrone said Turkish authorities accused him of “helping others misuse Ethereum,” which he believes is linked to a 2022 research paper he co-authored on Ethereum and Tornado Cash privacy.
I’m finally out, safe and free. There was a small moment were things looked very bad but thanks to help from many I got released. Sorry if I didn’t answer every message. I was in calls non stop the last 24 hours with too many people and I only slept two hours.
— Fede’s intern 🥊 (@fede_intern) August 11, 2025
Yesterday I landed… https://t.co/d54KXELtbC pic.twitter.com/z1c39K1yAS
He stressed the work was academic, aimed at analyzing how Ethereum addresses could be deanonymized, and not intended to facilitate illegal activity.
The case underscores growing scrutiny of developers linked to open-source privacy tools, echoing prosecutions of Tornado Cash co-founders Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm, the latter awaiting a verdict in the US.
Carrone’s release was secured with help from international contacts, including from the UAE, UK, US, Europe, Argentina, and the Catholic Church, alongside members of the Solana community.
The older I get, the more I believe in the values of the West and religion. When I was younger, I was a naive hacker and anarchist who believed in cypherpunk ideals. I still do. But over time, I’ve come to see that many of the institutions and governments I once criticized are,… pic.twitter.com/CXYCKOXShg
— Fede’s intern 🥊 (@fede_intern) August 11, 2025
Although free and back in Europe, Carrone’s legal case remains active.
He pledged to return to Turkey to defend his name if necessary and donated $500,000 in Ether to Storm’s defense, stressing the need to protect innovation and support developers globally.
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