What We Now Know About the Ethereum Developer Arrested in Turkey on “Blockchain Misuse” Charges
According to an Ethereum developer who goes by the alias “Fede’s Intern,” he was arrested in the Turkish city of Izmir on suspicion of assisting others in “misusing” the blockchain network. The crypto community has called for due process and openness in response to the claim, which he disputes.
Fede’s intern said in a string of X tweets that local officials warned his attorney that he might be charged. He wrote, “It’s wrong, we are just infra builders,” and added that he had received advice to keep his public sharing to a minimum. He asked supporters to get in touch with colleagues who could represent him.
Ethereum Dev Cites International Ties in Defense Effort
The developer identified himself as a businessman who works with governments and has running companies in over a dozen industries, with their headquarters located throughout Europe. “If we are the baddies I don’t know what to say. “Everything we do is transparent,” he declared.
He asserted that he had contacted high-level connections in over ten nations, including those in Europe, the US, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. He stated that friends from several jurisdictions were also phoning Turkish officials, and that he might be able to leave the country and dispute the accusations from overseas.
He then claimed that he had been charged by Turkey’s interior affairs minister for assisting in the misuse of Ethereum. While insisting that neither he nor his businesses had supported illegal behavior, he reaffirmed his willingness to work with Turkish authorities or any other government.
He said a group of attorneys was already working on the matter and that he could soon be able to take a private plane to Europe.
Skepticism Delayed Public Disclosure of Detention
Some odd events that happened while he was being held were also detailed in his posts. He described, for instance, being in detention during an earthquake. In the same holding room, he saw a fight break out between a drunk British national and others.
According to Fede’s intern, he postponed earlier because he expected skepticism. He also wanted to hold off on speaking in public until he had received approval from his attorney. “I’m not sure what the hell I’m winning by making this happen to me,” he continued.
The incarceration of the developer has been compared to the case of Tigran Gambaryan, an executive at Binance. He and Nadeem Anjarwalla were both arrested in Nigeria earlier this year. The question of whether governments are going too far in their enforcement operations against blockchain infrastructure providers has thus been stoked by both occurrences.
Definition of Ethereum “Misuse” Yet to Be Clarified
Translation mistakes may be the cause, according to some in the crypto world. Others believe that misconceptions regarding Ethereum’s infrastructure are the root of the problem. Some, however, worry that it suggests a more assertive regulatory approach in the area.
Important questions are still unresolved. For example, it’s unclear if Fede’s Intern or a related business is the target of the charges. Furthermore, it is unknown whether the detention is connected to a larger wave of arrests that Turkey’s interior minister announced earlier this week. Lastly, it is still unclear which particular actions are being classified as “misuse” of Ethereum. After he departs Turkey, the developer promised to provide further information. He added that if he had legal clearance, he would talk more.
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