Who is Ethereum Developer Federico Carrone? Core Dev Freed After Kidnap in Turkey

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 ▲5.13% 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

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