Roman Storm, one of the original creators of the Tornado Cash protocol, is urgently requesting $1.5 million in additional funding for his legal defense as his high-stakes trial continues into its third week in New York.
On July 26, Storm issued a public plea on X (formerly Twitter), stating that his legal team has been âworking around the clockâ as the case escalates. The trial, which began on July 14 in Manhattanâs Southern District Court, could set a lasting precedent on whether open-source crypto privacy tools like Tornado Cash are protected under U.S. law.
âIt sounds crazy, but I need again ~$1.5mm,â Storm wrote. His website, freeromanstorm.com, shows that over $3.9 million has already been donated to his legal fundâabout 65% of his $5 million goal.
Crypto on Trial: Tornado Cash and the Future of Privacy
Storm faces charges of conspiracy to launder money, violating U.S. sanctions, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Prosecutors have linked Tornado Cash to high-profile illicit actors like North Koreaâs Lazarus Group. However, Stormâs defense argues that the protocol was decentralized, autonomous, and beyond individual control.
His legal team is building its case on:
The First Amendment: arguing that writing and publishing code is protected free speech.
FinCENâs 2019 guidance: which states that developers of privacy-focused software arenât classified as money transmitters.
Tornado Cashâs immutability and decentralization: claiming no one could control how the tool was used after its launch.
OFAC Sanctions Reversed, But Legal Pressure Remains
In 2022, the U.S. Treasuryâs OFAC sanctioned Tornado Cash, but the move was reversed in March 2025 after successful civil litigation by crypto advocates. Despite this, Stormâs criminal case continuesâraising concerns across the Web3 and DeFi communities about potential overreach and the future of crypto privacy.
The Bigger Picture
Storm developed Tornado Cash in 2019 alongside Alexey Pertsev and Roman Semenov. Pertsev was convicted of money laundering in the Netherlands earlier this year and is currently appealing. Semenov remains at large and is listed as wanted by the FBI.
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.
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