Tornado Cash Founder Vows ‘Strong Defense’ In US Criminal Court.
Roman Storm, the co-founder of controversial cryptocurrency exchange Tornado Cash, has called for support from privacy advocates, saying he is “fearful” about the upcoming criminal trial.
In a Jan. 22 post on X (formerly Twitter), Storm said his legal team is “going to mount a vigorous defense” at the September 2024 trial. The Tornado Cash co-founder has pleaded not guilty to three charges.
“Even if you are [a] “If it's Web3-related, like mine, or if it's just a software and privacy issue, this legal battle will affect you,” Storm said. “This case will set a precedent for years to come.”
2024 is the year that will define the rest of my life. I am truly afraid. But I also hope that this community will take care of him emotionally. Please donate to my legal defense. pic.twitter.com/dgtWxFAKLM
— Roman S (@rstormsf) January 22, 2024
The founder of Tornado Cash was indicted in August 2023 along with his alleged co-conspirator Roman Semenov, who was not available at the time of publication. Storm was released on $2 million bond shortly after his arrest, and his trial was scheduled to begin on September 23.
Authorities in the Netherlands arrested Tornado Cash founder Alexey Persev in August 2022, but he was released in April 2023 before he could stand trial. According to crowdfunding platform Juicebox, users have sent more than $28,000 to Perceive and Storm Defense since January 22.
Related: Can Crypto Mixers Adapt to Survive US Official Prosecution?
Storm and Semenov's indictment centered around Tornado Cash, a North Korea-based Lazarus hacker that facilitated efforts to circumvent US sanctions. The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the crypto mixer to its list of Specially Designated Nationals in August 2022.
Following the US Treasury's crackdown on Tornado Cash, some crypto advocates sued the government for overstepping OFAC's mandate. Two cases filed by a group of six investors and Coin Center are on appeal after losing summary judgments.
Magazine: Tornado Cash 2.0: The Race to Build Safe and Legal Coin Mixers
