Ethereum Community Builder and Tornado Cash Co-Founder, Asks Trump for Help
The crypto community is relieved that Trump pardoned Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht. Now Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and others in the ETH community are urging Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith and Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm to leave. As a result, the Ethereum community is now asking for Trump's help in this matter.
Vitalik asked Trump for help
The Ethereum community is calling on the US government to release Ethereum developer Virgil Griffiths, Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm and developer Alexei Persev. The questions came after Trump issued an executive order to pardon Ross Ulbricht, who was serving a life sentence for running and operating the Silk Road.
“No one is left out,” Vitalik said, and asked Tornado Cash co-founder Alexey Persev and Roman Tornado to release him.
Shortly after President Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison for running the illegal Silk Road marketplace, the Ethereum community called for a similar pardon for themselves. Ulbricht's apology comes after years of support from Bitcoin enthusiasts for his role in setting up a platform to trade in illegal goods.
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Meanwhile, Ethereum developer Virgil Griffiths is serving a 56-month prison sentence after admitting to sanctions violations. In the year In 2019, he was accused of traveling to North Korea to avoid sanctions on blockchain technology.
Roman Storm, a key figure in the crypto space and co-founder of Tornado Cash, has been charged with money laundering and embargo violations related to his work with the crypto platform.
Storm moved to dismiss the suit, claiming it violated his First Amendment rights, and the trial was adjourned. A recent social media post discussing his legal challenges drew a lot of attention, with many finding figures like Trump and Elon Musk in the space for support.
Roman Accounts Alleged ‘Horrifying Crime of Privacy'
Roman Storm, founder of Tornado Cash, called the legal problems a serious threat to privacy. In the year He was arrested in August 2023 and will stand trial in April 2025 on charges including money laundering. The case raised concerns about criminalizing software development, prompting another developer to sue the Justice Department.
A recent court ruling ordered Tornado Cash to be removed from the US Treasury sanctions list, acknowledging that smart contracts are autonomous. This decision shows that laws need to be updated to better regulate technologies like cryptocurrencies without worrying about their functionality.
Buterin said, “You created the Tornado because of my idea that building is a useful thing. Doing that violates my basic respect, and refuses to support you in your time of need. At Ethereum we protect our own and respect our dignity.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said the authorities should focus on going after criminals who break the law instead of targeting developers.
