Ethereum developer Federico Carrone, known as “Fede’s Intern” on X, has been released after a 24-hour detention in Turkey over alleged links to an 
ETH ▲0.45% privacy protocol.
“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,” – Federico Carrone, X post
Carrone said Turkey’s Minister of Internal Affairs accused him of “helping others misuse Ethereum,” which was allegedly linked to a January 2022 research paper examining Ethereum privacy and Tornado Cash mixers.
“We never helped anyone engage in illegal activity; it was purely research on mixers and their properties,” Carrone told reporters.
Who is Ethereum Developer Federico Carrone? Allegations and International Intervention
Carrone, a ZK and Ethereum infrastructure developer, said he was being held in Izmir and warned of possible charges, despite insisting that his companies operate transparently and in partnership with European governments.
It took contacts in over 10 countries, industry peers, and Catholic Church representatives lobbying Turkish authorities to free him.
“They wanted to take my phone since they considered it a security risk but thanks to some friends calls they didn’t,” Carrone said.
Bankless co-founder Ryan Sean Adams called the episode “very troubling,” pointing to potential fallout for Istanbul’s DevCon 2026 ambitions.
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I decided to donate $500K to @rstormsf’s legal defense. Originally, we planned to give $50K, but after what happened to me, I need to take a clear position so everyone understands what @class_lambda stands for.
I understand that the @ethereumfndn will be matching donations up to…
— Fede’s intern
(@fede_intern) August 11, 2025
Carrone’s arrest adds to a growing wave of prosecutions targeting developers of open-source privacy tools.
Tornado Cash co-founders Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm have faced similar charges. Storm’s upcoming verdict in New York is a potential precedent for criminalizing privacy tech in decentralized finance.
On Tuesday, Carrone pledged $500,000 in ETH to Storm’s legal defense. In crypto terms, that’s doubling down on the jailbreak of innocent devs.
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Federico Carrone Willing to Return to Turkey to Clear His Name
Carrone is now in Europe, but says his legal team is in Turkey working on the case.
“We still don’t have the full picture of what happened or why it happened, but we will bring in the best team we can and resolve this,” said Carrone. “If needed, once things are sorted out, I will come back to clear my name and defend myself.”
The situation underscores a growing legal gray zone for crypto developers operating on privacy-focused infrastructure—an area increasingly under government scrutiny worldwide.
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Key Takeaways
- Ethereum developer Federico Carrone, known as “Fede’s Intern” on X, has been released after a 24-hour detention in Turkey.
- Carrone’s arrest adds to a growing wave of prosecutions targeting developers of open-source privacy tools.
The post Who is Ethereum Developer Federico Carrone? Core Dev Freed After Kidnap in Turkey appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
