Following a significant US appeals court decision overturning sanctions against Tornado Cash, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin made a substantial donation of 320 ether, valued at over $1 million, to the cryptocurrency think tank Coin Center. The ruling stated that Tornado Cash's smart contracts do not belong to a foreign entity and therefore cannot be blocked under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Buterin's donation comes as Coin Center continues to play a crucial role in the crypto industry's fight against US government sanctions.
The organization had previously filed a lawsuit against the US Treasury Department for overstepping its authority in sanctioning Tornado Cash and is currently involved in the defense of the service's developers. Buterin has publicly expressed his support for Tornado Cash and its developers, having used the service to donate to Ukraine and contributing to their legal defense fund earlier this year.