In a courtroom so packed that even the mice were whispering, a Manhattan jury decided that Mr. Roman Storm, the co-founder of the crypto privacy tool known as Tornado Cash, was indeed guilty of running an unlicensed money transmitting business. This verdict, handed down with all the solemnity of a judge who’s just been told his tea has gone cold, has set the crypto community abuzz like a hive of bees disturbed by a particularly enthusiastic picnic.
The jury, after much deliberation and what one can only assume were several rounds of rock-paper-scissors, failed to agree on the more serious charges of money laundering and sanctions violations, as reported by the ever-reliable Inner City Press. The case, presided over by the formidable Judge Katherine Polk Failla, has become a hot potato in the ongoing tug-of-war between cryptocurrency innovation and the regulatory watchdogs who seem to think they’re at a dress rehearsal for The Great Gatsby.
Mr. Storm, who found himself in the legal soup in 2023, was accused of facilitating the laundering of over $1 billion through Tornado Cash, including funds allegedly used by North Korea’s Lazarus Group. The prosecution, with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop, argued that Storm knowingly built a system that became a playground for criminals and continued to profit from it, even after learning of the North Korean connection.
However, Storm’s defense team, with a flair for the dramatic, claimed that their client never intended Tornado Cash to become a haven for illegal activities. Upon discovering the involvement of North Korean hackers, they reportedly “dropped F-bombs” rather than popping champagne corks. The jurors, it seems, were as confused by the technical jargon as a goldfish trying to navigate a maze. They had questions, oh, did they have questions! Questions about whether Storm had a duty to liaise with foreign authorities and how exactly OFAC sanctions fit into the world of blockchain wallets. These queries highlighted the legal system’s struggle to keep up with the dizzying pace of decentralized technology.
Support for Storm poured in from unexpected quarters. Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, stepped forward with a statement that could have been lifted straight from a chivalrous knight’s code: “It would violate basic honor… In Ethereum we protect our own.” The DeFi Education Fund also rallied to Storm’s defense, arguing that developers of open-source software do not exert control or custody over user assets, a point that seemed to baffle the jury even further.
You created Tornado in significant part because of my suggestion that it is something worth building.
It would violate basic honor for me to do that, and then fail to support you in your hour of need.
In Ethereum we protect our own, and uphold our honor.
Milady
– vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) January 22, 2025
This case, with its potential to reshape the legal landscape for open-source crypto developers, has cast a long shadow over the future of digital privacy, blockchain innovation, and user rights. The stakes are high, and the outcome could mean the difference between a free and open internet and a world where writing code is considered a criminal act. One can only hope that the judiciary will see the light before they accidentally outlaw the entire tech industry. 🙏🔍
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2025-08-07 00:29