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- Pertsev reportedly worked with the company associated with the Russian FSB.
- That company supports the Russian state intelligence apparatus and is the successor to the KGB.
Alexey Pertsev is a Tornado Cash Developer. The allegation framed on him showed his association with Digital Security OOO in 2017. It was also noted that the firm was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury to support the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia. While, Ksenia Malik, who is the wife of Pertsev, denied the involvement of his husband with any Intelligence organization in Russia.
Pertsev’s Russian FSB Relation
As per the report by Kharon, which is an intelligence firm, in 2017 Pertsev worked with Russian-based Digital Security OOO. It also got sanctioned in 2018 by the U.S. Treasury and was supported by the Russian FSB in 2015.
According to the statement by Pertsev, he was not involved with the five entities and three individuals named by the Treasury. Unlike, Kharon stated that it identified Pertsev’s name from the website of Digital Security OOO.
The research VP of Kharon, Nick Grothaus, stated that Pertsev was “working for Digital Security OOO and doing [penetration] testing himself” before the firm got sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury to assist the FSB.
Furthermore, Kharon added that the code of Tornado Cash was partially developed by PepperSec, which was founded by Pertsev and based in Delaware. There may not seem any direct connection between PepperSec and Digital Security OOO.
What did Pertsev’s Wife say?
Ksenia Malik made her disagreement by saying, Pertsev has “never been associated with the FSB in Russia or with similar organizations. They moved to the Netherlands in the hope of a quiet, stable, and free life, which is unimaginable in military Russia.”
On August 8, Ethereum coin mixer Tornado Cash got approval by Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury and after some days Pertsev got arrested by the Dutch authorities.
Nancy J. Allen is a crypto enthusiast, with a major in macroeconomics and minor in business statistics. She believes that cryptocurrencies inspire people to be their own banks, and step aside from traditional monetary exchange systems. She is also intrigued by blockchain technology and its functioning. She frequently researches, and posts content on the top altcoins, their theoretical working principles and technical price predictions.
