TL;DR
- Tornado Cash co-founder, Roman Storm, has launched an urgent appeal for $500K in the next few days, part of a $3.5 million legal defense fund, to cover mounting fees and expert witnesses as his four-week trial kicks off.
- Facing money laundering, unlicensed money transmitter, and sanctions-violation charges (up to 45 years), his defense is barred from citing lifted U.S. Treasury sanctions, narrowing their strategy.
- About $1.96 million (57% of the goal) is pledged so far, with major support from the Ethereum Foundation and MetaCartel DAO; his team will argue Tornado Cash’s smart contracts are protected speech.
Roman Storm, co-founder of the privacy-focused mixing service Tornado Cash, issued an urgent plea on X this weekend, warning of a “critical shortfall” in his legal defense fund just days before his trial begins. Storm asked supporters to help him raise $500,000 within the next few days to cover mounting fees and expert witnesses.
He also revealed a broader target of $3.5 million, up from the originally estimated $2 million, to sustain a trial that may stretch to four weeks due to complex arguments and unforeseen evidence.
https://twitter.com/rstormsf/status/1944040232778596720
Legal Costs Balloon Amid Complex Proceedings
Arrested in August 2023 and charged with money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitter, and sanctions violations, Storm faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted. His legal team attempted to delay proceedings after prosecutors disclosed a key witness past the discovery deadline.
In the meantime, Judge Katherine Failla decided that neither side is allowed to mention the U.S. Treasury’s recently lifted sanctions on Tornado Cash, which restricts the defense’s capacity to contest the government’s case in that regard.
Community and Industry Backing Flows In
The broader crypto ecosystem has rallied to Storm’s side. As of today, about $1.96 million, or roughly 57% of his $3.5 million fundraising goal, has been pledged in Ether. Notable contributions feature a $500,000 donation from the Ethereum Foundation, which has also committed to matching up to $750,000 in community funds, along with a complete treasury contribution from the MetaCartel DAO. Advocacy groups such as the DeFi Education Fund have lobbied federal authorities to reconsider prosecutions targeting open-source software developers.
Trial Kicks Off Under Tight Restrictions
With the first day of his Manhattan trial set for today, Storm’s defense will hinge on framing Tornado Cash’s smart contracts as protected speech rather than illicit tools. His team argues that decentralized protocols operate autonomously once deployed and that prosecuting code undermines free-speech principles. As trading desks and DAOs watch closely, the outcome could redefine legal accountability for developers of privacy-preserving blockchain technologies.
