Jury deadlocks on key charges as Roman Storm awaits sentencing on narrower conviction
In a closely watched case for the crypto industry, Roman Storm, co-developer of privacy protocol Tornado Cash, was found guilty of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business following four days of jury deliberation. However, the same jury failed to reach a verdict on two more serious allegations: conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate international sanctions.
The partial verdict comes after two Allen charges were issued by Judge Katherine Polk Failla, urging the deadlocked jury to reconsider their positions in pursuit of a unanimous decision. These “dynamite charges” are rarely used and typically signal intense division among jurors.
Storm convicted on regulatory violation, not financial crimes
The conviction centers on Storm’s role in the development and operation of , a decentralized mixing protocol that enables anonymous cryptocurrency transactions. The jury agreed with prosecutors that the protocol functioned as a money transmitting business without proper registration, thus violating U.S. financial regulations.
“This case sets a significant precedent. Developers must now seriously weigh legal risk when building privacy-enhancing tools,” said a digital asset legal researcher.
However, jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether Storm intended for the tool to be used to launder funds or evade U.S. sanctions. The lack of consensus on these charges reflects the broader debate over developer liability and the extent to which code authors are responsible for third-party usage.
Storm remains free on bail as legal outcome unfolds
Storm will remain out on pretrial release, with the court citing his strong U.S. ties and low flight risk. The partial conviction could still carry penalties, though not as severe as a full conviction on all charges.
This mixed outcome leaves the crypto community with lingering questions about legal boundaries for open-source developers — and how regulators plan to navigate the intersection of privacy, code, and accountability in decentralized finance.
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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.