Ethereum developer Federico Carrone, known as Fede's Intern, was detained in Turkey over allegations of helping misuse the Ethereum network. The incident happened at Izmir airport, where authorities informed him of a pending criminal charge likely linked to his privacy protocol work.

After intervention from the Ethereum community and legal support, Carrone was released and allowed to leave. The case seems tied to blockchain privacy tools, which face rising government scrutiny.

Carrone's team previously came under attention for Tutela, a study on Ethereum and Tornado Cash user privacy. He emphasised that creating privacy code does not make developers criminals, comparing it to blaming software creators for misuse.

Growing legal challenges face developers building privacy and self-custody tools. Tornado Cash co-founder Alexey Roman recently received a criminal conviction and may face prison.

Crypto advocates warn lawsuits against developers risk stifling innovation and highlight ongoing legal uncertainty.