Yeliz Akmaca 
An Argentine developer known as “Fede’s Intern” in the Ethereum ecosystem was detained in Izmir over the weekend. Turkish authorities accused the developer of “aiding the misuse of Ethereum.”
However, the details and legal basis of the accusation remain unclear. The developer shared the allegations on the X platform. He said his lawyers informed him of a possible charge related to Ethereum infrastructure misuse. Still, he emphasized that he was not involved in any illegal activity. He rejected the claims, stating, “We are only infrastructure developers.”
“Misuse of Ethereum” Claim and Legal Uncertainty
Fede’s Intern reported that the accusation came directly from the Turkish Interior Minister. He also stated he is fully open to cooperation with authorities in Turkey or any other country. The developer maintained that they did not assist in any unlawful acts. Meanwhile, the vague nature of the claim sparked debate in the crypto community. Turkish crypto commentator Cenk argued that detention based solely on such allegations lacks legal grounds. It is known that Turkish commercial, consumer, and criminal laws apply in crypto-related cases. During detention, Fede’s Intern provided updates on X. He said he was placed in a private room and was given meals. Furthermore, he planned to leave for Europe by private jet within hours. This would allow his legal team to closely follow the case.
I’m in Turkey, Izmir. They are telling my lawyer that I helped people to misuse @ethereum and I might have a charge. You can imagine what it means. It’s obviously wrong, we are just infra builders.
I can’t say much because I don’t have information and I don’t know if I will…
— Fede’s intern 🥊 (@fede_intern) August 10, 2025
Crypto Community Support and Reactions
Key figures from the ETH and Solana communities offered legal assistance to the developer. Many called for transparency and fair trial. On the other hand, some suggested the incident might result from translation errors or misunderstandings of blockchain infrastructure. However, others viewed this development as a sign of rising regulatory pressure in the region. Ethereum advocate Ryan Sean Adams reacted, saying, “Ethereum developer detained in Turkey. The reason given is ‘misuse of Ethereum.’ This is very concerning. Wasn’t Istanbul proposed as the venue for DevCon 2026?” Fede’s Intern announced he would share more details after leaving Turkey and consulting his lawyers. This will clarify how the process will proceed.
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