Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm is facing a July 14 trial on charges related to money laundering and sanctions violations with the DOJ.
Storm claims the DOJ is attempting to "crush" his defense. "Defi dies with me if I lose," he says.
The US government recently sanctioned Tornado Cash in 2022 because of its heavy use by North Korean hackers.
The Ethereum Foundation is supporting Storm's legal defense by pledging funds towards the goal.
This trial is seen as a test for the rights of open-source developers and the future of privacy in DeFi.
The US government is tightening its grip on crypto privacy tools, and Roman Storm, a co-founder of the Tornado Cash Mixer, has now found himself in the middle of serious legal issues.
Storm is set to stand trial on 14 July 2025, under charges related to conspiracy, money laundering and violations of U.S. sanctions laws.
However, Storm claims the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is blocking his expert witnesses, and is trying hard to "crush" his defense.
This case is not just about one man. It may redefine the future of defi, privacy rights and how far government authority can go.
Here are the details.
Storm’s Expert Witnesses Dismissed
According to a recent social media post, Roman Storm revealed that out of the six expert witnesses his legal team proposed, the DOJ has rejected five.
Not only this, he claims that the DOJ has also severely limited the sixth, Matthew Edman, and only allowed him partial leeway to speak about blockchain technology.
The DOJ has justified its actions by questioning the relevance of the other witnesses’ testimonies.
According to Prosecutors, topics like digital privacy, blockchain mechanics and tokenomics are not directly connected to the legal charges Storm is facing.
They allege that Storm is mostly facing charges related to conspiracy to violate international sanctions.
In one particularly pointed response, the DOJ dismissed testimony from renowned cryptography professor Matthew Green and said:
“None of the above-listed topics are relevant to any fact at issue in this case.”
The DOJ further claimed that it is not an expert’s role to make legal determinations, like whether Know Your Customer (KYC) rules apply to Tornado Cash.
According to them, this responsibility lies with the judge and jury.
The Backstory of Tornado Cash and its Sanctions
For the unaware, Tornado Cash is a defi protocol that allows users to hide the origin (and destination) of crypto transactions.
While this tool is useful for legal purposes like privacy and anonymity, the U.S. government sanctioned Tornado Cash in 2022, with claims that it is being mostly used by North Korean hackers to launder stolen crypto.
Roman Storm, along with others involved in the project, has denied any wrongdoing and argues that Tornado Cash is simply open-source code, not a business or money transmitter.
The sanctions ended up being lifted earlier this year. However, Storm remains in court, with the criminal case against him still ongoing.
“SDNY is trying to crush me, blocking every expert witness.” Storm said in a recent post on Twitter (X). “If I lose, DeFi dies with me.”
So far, Storm now faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
He also faces charges related to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
Storm has tried to challenge the charges on First Amendment grounds, saying that writing and sharing code should be protected as free speech.
Ethereum Foundation and Community Rally Behind Storm
Despite the legal issues, Roman Storm has not been left to fight alone.
The Ethereum Foundation recently pledged $500,000 toward his legal defense. In addition, the organization will match up to $750,000 in community contributions and bring the total support to $1.25 million.
This is a large chunk of the total fundraising goal of $2 million, with Storm’s message resonating with developers, privacy advocates and DeFi supporters, many of whom see this trial as a test for the rights of open-source programmers.
Critics have pointed out that the DOJ’s move to limit expert testimony is strategic.
By narrowing the trial’s scope to only the most legally relevant facts, they can focus the jury’s attention on Storm’s alleged illegal activity, without having to get into deeper debates about privacy or DeFi philosophy.
Critics have also argued that the DOJ is trying to throw the context in which Tornado Cash was created out of the window.
Understanding how privacy protocols work could help a jury assess whether Storm truly intended to break the law or whether he was simply contributing to open-source technology.
The trial is set for 14 July in New York, and time is running out for Roman Storm and his legal team to build a strong defense.
Disclaimer: Voice of Crypto aims to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, but it will not be responsible for any missing facts or inaccurate information. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile financial assets, so research and make your own financial decisions.
The content is for reference only, not a solicitation or offer. No investment, tax, or legal advice provided. See Disclaimer for more risks disclosure.
"If I Lose, DeFi Dies”: Tornado Cash Founder Sounds Alarm Ahead of Trial
Key Insights
The US government is tightening its grip on crypto privacy tools, and Roman Storm, a co-founder of the Tornado Cash Mixer, has now found himself in the middle of serious legal issues.
Storm is set to stand trial on 14 July 2025, under charges related to conspiracy, money laundering and violations of U.S. sanctions laws.
However, Storm claims the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is blocking his expert witnesses, and is trying hard to "crush" his defense.
This case is not just about one man. It may redefine the future of defi, privacy rights and how far government authority can go.
Here are the details.
Storm’s Expert Witnesses Dismissed
According to a recent social media post, Roman Storm revealed that out of the six expert witnesses his legal team proposed, the DOJ has rejected five.
Not only this, he claims that the DOJ has also severely limited the sixth, Matthew Edman, and only allowed him partial leeway to speak about blockchain technology.
The DOJ has justified its actions by questioning the relevance of the other witnesses’ testimonies.
According to Prosecutors, topics like digital privacy, blockchain mechanics and tokenomics are not directly connected to the legal charges Storm is facing.
They allege that Storm is mostly facing charges related to conspiracy to violate international sanctions.
In one particularly pointed response, the DOJ dismissed testimony from renowned cryptography professor Matthew Green and said:
“None of the above-listed topics are relevant to any fact at issue in this case.”
The DOJ further claimed that it is not an expert’s role to make legal determinations, like whether Know Your Customer (KYC) rules apply to Tornado Cash.
According to them, this responsibility lies with the judge and jury.
The Backstory of Tornado Cash and its Sanctions
For the unaware, Tornado Cash is a defi protocol that allows users to hide the origin (and destination) of crypto transactions.
While this tool is useful for legal purposes like privacy and anonymity, the U.S. government sanctioned Tornado Cash in 2022, with claims that it is being mostly used by North Korean hackers to launder stolen crypto.
Roman Storm, along with others involved in the project, has denied any wrongdoing and argues that Tornado Cash is simply open-source code, not a business or money transmitter.
The sanctions ended up being lifted earlier this year. However, Storm remains in court, with the criminal case against him still ongoing.
“SDNY is trying to crush me, blocking every expert witness.” Storm said in a recent post on Twitter (X). “If I lose, DeFi dies with me.”
So far, Storm now faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
He also faces charges related to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
Storm has tried to challenge the charges on First Amendment grounds, saying that writing and sharing code should be protected as free speech.
Ethereum Foundation and Community Rally Behind Storm
Despite the legal issues, Roman Storm has not been left to fight alone.
The Ethereum Foundation recently pledged $500,000 toward his legal defense. In addition, the organization will match up to $750,000 in community contributions and bring the total support to $1.25 million.
This is a large chunk of the total fundraising goal of $2 million, with Storm’s message resonating with developers, privacy advocates and DeFi supporters, many of whom see this trial as a test for the rights of open-source programmers.
Critics have pointed out that the DOJ’s move to limit expert testimony is strategic.
By narrowing the trial’s scope to only the most legally relevant facts, they can focus the jury’s attention on Storm’s alleged illegal activity, without having to get into deeper debates about privacy or DeFi philosophy.
Critics have also argued that the DOJ is trying to throw the context in which Tornado Cash was created out of the window.
Understanding how privacy protocols work could help a jury assess whether Storm truly intended to break the law or whether he was simply contributing to open-source technology.
The trial is set for 14 July in New York, and time is running out for Roman Storm and his legal team to build a strong defense.
Disclaimer: Voice of Crypto aims to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, but it will not be responsible for any missing facts or inaccurate information. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile financial assets, so research and make your own financial decisions.