Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, the Ukrainian government has used crypto during the crisis to facilitate donations for military and other purchases. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has also extended his hand to the cause and donated around $5 million in ETH to Ukraine.
Well, that’s not the only case highlighting why we need decentralized networks but his donations through Tornado Cash is worth noting, considering the current scenario.
The U.S. slapped sanctions on virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash, claiming that North Korean hackers and other entities relied on it to launder billions worth of illegal proceeds.
On this note, Vitalik Buterin accepting that he used Tornado Cash for donations raised so many questions among the community. Even though Vitalik, the co-founder of Ethereum, was born in Russia, he made the anonymous donation using Tornado Cash to Ukraine during the bloody war.
One of the Twitter users also said that he is curious to know if there are any documented examples of Tornado cases used for Ukraine donations. He went on to say, self-identifying sort of defeats the point but e.g. groups or guides recommending people to do so?
In his response, Buterin tweeted he used Tornado Cash for the exact same cause. Yet, it’s a point of discussion whether financial privacy really needs to be promoted or overlooked.
Considering the example of the Russian government tracking all actions, would Ukraine donations have been possible if there had not been decentralized networks?
