Blockchain developer claims being held in Turkey over Ethereum ‘misuse’ allegation
An individual known as "Fede's intern" claims to have been detained in Turkey on allegations of helping others "misuse Ethereum," according to a series of posts on social media platform X. The person, who identifies as an Argentinian developer focused on ZK and Ethereum, said he is being held in Izmir.In a post published on Sunday, Fede's intern wrote that Turkey's Minister of Interior accused him of facilitating Ethereum misuse and that authorities confined him to a room."It's obviously wrong, we are just infra builders," the developer said, while adding that he is open to cooperating with the authorities. In following posts, Fede's intern wrote that he is receiving assistance from his legal team and may soon be able to leave the country, headed to Europe.As details about the specific accusations against Fede's intern remain unclear, some users on the social media platform have raised doubts about his claims, with user "0xCenk" stating that there is "zero legal basis" for detaining an individual on such charges.In a reply, Fede's intern wrote: "[I'm] waiting to share more information until I'm out of the country and our attorney gives me the green light ... I don't know what the heck I win by inventing that this happened to me." According to his X profile, he is associated with a few crypto and blockchain projects, including investment firm Lambda Class and blockchain solutions firm Aligned.The Block has reached out to the Turkish authorities, Lambda Class and the Ethereum Foundation for more information on the situation.This is a developing story.Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.