Roman Storm, a 35-year-old software developer and the co-founder of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency privacy application, stands accused in Manhattan federal court of laundering $1 billion in crypto. Arrested in Washington state in August 2023, he denies the charges, arguing that his work is protected speech.
Storm has pleaded not guilty, arguing he merely developed open-source code protected by free speech principles. He took to social media to prove his innocence, asking his fellow supporters to join his fight for the coders’ freedom of speech.
“My team is working nonstop to defend code as free speech, protect software development, and push back against government overreach that threatens us all,” he said on his X (formerly Twitter).
With legal battles expected to drag on for weeks, Storm began raising funds on X. He warned of a “critical shortfall” in funding and asked his supporters for their help in raising $500,000 within a few days to cover legal expenses.
On Friday, he said that the defense fund target has risen to $3.5 million, up from an initial $2 million to sustain a trial due to complex arguments and unforeseen evidence. According to Judge Katherine Polk Faila, this case could last almost 4 weeks.
So far, the supporters have contributed $1.96 million, 57% of the goal. This amount was made in ether (ETH) and hence the value is subject to fluctuation.
Storm’s defense rests on the argument that a mere software engineer only develops code, and the code he developed is protected speech. He denies responsibility for how others use Tornado Cash- an independent platform.
“Roman wrote and deployed open-source code. He didn’t launder funds or run a business,” Amal Ibraymi, legal counsel at Ethereum privacy network Aztec Labs, told the news.
Alexey Pertsev’s appeal hangs on the US crypto privacy ruling
The case’s ripple effect could directly impact the case of Alexey Pertsev, the other co-founder of Tornado Cash, who was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment in the Netherlands and is currently under house arrest, preparing a legal appeal.
Storm’s verdict could redefine crypto and open-source law
If Storm is acquitted, or if the US court affirms that writing open-source code is protected speech, it could strengthen Pertsev’s defense. They could argue to prove that Pertsev was wrongly held accountable for the autonomous actions of a decentralized protocol.
The verdict won’t just decide Storm’s future but also redefine the fate and future of cryptocurrency and DeFi regulations.
