DOJ to press on with criminal charges against Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm

By: bitcoin ethereum news|2025/05/16 07:45:05
0
Share
copy
The US Department of Justice does not intend to drop its federal criminal charges against Tornado Cash developer and co-founder Roman Storm, Decrypt reported on May 15, citing sources within the DOJ. The DOJ’s decision to proceed comes despite an internal memo circulated last month signaling a potential shift in how the agency handles cases involving crypto mixing services. Storm will stand trial on federal charges, including money laundering and sanctions evasion. Criminal charges Federal prosecutors allege that Storm conspired to launder funds, evade US sanctions, and operate an unlicensed money transmitting business through Tornado Cash, an Ethereum-based coin mixer designed to obscure the origin and destination of crypto transactions. Storm’s trial is set to begin in a Manhattan federal courtroom in less than two months. The most recent court filings show that prosecutors have agreed to drop one portion of the charge related to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, acknowledging inconsistencies with federal guidelines. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) clarified in 2019 that “non-custodial entities” such as Tornado Cash are not classified as money transmitters. The DOJ’s partial rollback highlights a tension between law enforcement and developers of decentralized software. Amanda Tuminelli, executive director of the DeFi Education Fund, told Decrypt that technologists building neutral privacy tools should not be held to “unreasonable criminal standards.” Her comments echo the sentiment prevalent among industry leaders, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who continues to support Storm. Case to continue despite shifting stance The DOJ’s reaffirmation of charges against Storm follows the leak of an internal memo indicating the agency would now prioritize pursuing individuals using crypto tools for criminal purposes rather than prosecuting the platforms themselves. The shift has been interpreted as a sign of evolving policy under the more crypto-friendly Trump administration. However, the DOJ does not intend to drop its charges against Storm. In September, US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla denied his motion to dismiss, ruling that the use of computer code to facilitate money laundering is not protected under the First Amendment, despite Storm’s claims of free speech protections for his code. The US Treasury sanctioned Tornado Cash in 2022, claiming that the protocol had facilitated more than $7 billion in illicit transactions. However, in March, the Office of Foreign Assets Control quietly removed Tornado Cash from its sanctions list following a federal appeals court decision that found immutable smart contracts cannot be sanctioned as property. Storm’s co-developer, Alexey Pertsev, was sentenced to over five years in prison by a Dutch court last year but was released under electronic monitoring in February pending an appeal. The DOJ, Storm, and his attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment as of press time. Source: https://cryptoslate.com/doj-to-press-on-with-criminal-charges-against-tornado-cash-developer-roman-storm/

You may also like

Strive to buy Strategy stock, Bitcoin Treasury company starts nesting dolls with each other

Bitcoin hodlers are starting to nested be in each other.

Key Market Intel on March 12th, how much did you miss out on?

1. On-chain Funds: $29.7M inflow to Hyperliquid today; $30.9M outflow from Base 2. Biggest Gainers/Losers: $DRV, $LYN 3. Top News: US plans to release 172M barrels of oil to curb prices, on-chain pre-market crude oil gains narrow by 4%

The new center of Crypto

But the market is constantly evolving. By 2026, companies that can adapt to the new environment will survive, while those that continue to rely on the old script may face the fate of elimination.

Former Coinbase CPO's lengthy article: I have regrets, but I still firmly believe in Crypto

People often fantasize that wealth comes from catching every new wave. Sometimes this is true. But more often, wealth comes from riding a real wave and not blindly paddling away every time the water splashes around.

Hormuz Strait Triggers Oil War, Will the Fed Blink with a Rate Cut in June?

Polymarket data shows that the current market is betting a 64% probability of an interest rate cut in June this year, with the probability rising to 81% for September.

After Law Enforcement in the US and the UK Seized Cryptocurrency, ‘Asset Return’ Never Really Happened

The digital assets that should have been returned to the victims have quietly flowed into government treasuries, strategic reserve funds, and law enforcement agencies' operational budgets.

Popular coins

Latest Crypto News

Read more