The first time a developer of open source, non-custodial and autonomous smart contract code has been arrested comes days after the US sanctions the same smart contract.
Probably just a coincidence.
Probably just a coincidence.
I don't believe it's a coincidence that the sanctions and the arrest happened close together, there's likely some coordination there. But it's really unlikely the sanctions somehow are relevant in this case.
Same as the Silk Road/darkmarkets argument.
Zero chance this is solely on account of U.S. sanctions. It takes time to build an arrest case under domestic law, as well as for sanctions to percolate across legal systems.
There was likely coördination. Maybe the Dutch waited, to bolster their arrest case. Maybe the evidence that Tornado was used to launder money processed under similar time frames at OFAC and the FIOD.
The US has significant control over European countries. They're nearly vassal states to a degree.