According to a report from intelligence company Kharon, Alexey Pertsev, Tornado Cash developer, previously worked for a business connected to the Russian security agency FSB.

The software that runs Tornado Cash was developed by a Delaware-registered company called PepperSec, and Pertsev is listed as that company's founder and CEO in the Kharon report.
<h2>Treasury Department Imposed Sanctions On Tornado Cash</h2>
On August 8, the Treasury Department <a href="https://www.cryptoknowmics.com/news/crypto-mixing-service-tornado-cash-blacklisted-by-treasury-department/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed sanctions</a> on Tornado Cash, claiming that hacker organizations, including the Lazarus Group from North Korea, had utilized the business to launder billions of dollars. Two days later, on suspicion of "involvement in hiding unlawful financial flows and enabling money laundering," the Dutch government detained Pertsev, a resident of the Netherlands. The U.S. government's targeting of an open-source software project provoked outrage from the global crypto community in response to the action.

The international community, however, supported Pertsev and declared that the American government had unfairly singled out an open-source software creator. Nevertheless, national security specialists contend that the public is not fully informed about the measures. They observe that Pertsev's background draws attention to a less clear image.
<h2>Review Of Alexey Pertsev's Earlier Works</h2>
As per the report from Kharon, Pertsev worked for a Russian entity Digital Security OOO in 2017. He was employed as a smart contract developer and information security expert. The U.S. Treasury Department designated Digital Security OOO in 2018 to support the FSB technologically and practically.

According to the Fortune publication, Zerden <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/08/25/tornado-cash-developer-russian-fsb-linked-company/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">said</a>,
<blockquote><em>"There are a lot of reasons, justifications, and deference that OFAC [the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control] has to designate entities. There seems to be a more complex and complicated picture that takes more time to unravel."</em></blockquote>

Tornado Cash Developer Worked for Russian Security Agency-Linked Firm

Alexey Pertsev, the developer of treasury-sanctioned Tornado Cash, previously worked for a business linked with the Russian security agency FSB.

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Tornado Cash Developer Worked for Russian Security Agency-Linked Firm

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