The Ethereum Foundation has committed to matching up to an additional $500,000 in donations to support the legal defense of Roman Storm, the co-founder of Tornado Cash. This pledge follows a recent verdict in which a Manhattan jury found Storm guilty of one of three federal charges: conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitter. The jury, however, remained deadlocked on the charges of conspiracy for money laundering and sanctions evasion.
According to a tweet from the Foundation’s co-executive director, Wei Wang, the organization is supporting the belief that “privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime.” The legal defense organization for Storm and fellow developer Alexey Pertsev, who is also facing charges in a separate case, has stressed the urgency of continued funding, noting that this case could set a significant precedent for developers globally.
Storm’s legal troubles began after the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the Tornado Cash protocol in August 2022, alleging it was used to launder billions of dollars, including by North Korea’s Lazarus Group. While prosecutors argued Storm profited from criminal activity, his defense maintained that Tornado Cash was a privacy tool for legitimate users.
The crypto community has voiced its concern, with attorney Jake Chervinsky calling the verdict “a sad day for DeFi” and urging for an appeal. The legal costs for Storm have been mounting, and this case comes amidst similar legal actions, such as the recent guilty plea from the founders of the Bitcoin mixer Samourai Wallet on related charges.
August 2025, Cryptoniteuae
