The ongoing criminal trial against Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm has entered a critical evidentiary phase with testimony from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents. Prosecutors introduced IRS analysis alleging Storm maintained control of funds associated with the cryptocurrency mixing service.
Storm’s defense team is aggressively contesting the reliability of forensic evidence presented by the government, including questioning the qualifications of IRS witnesses. Attorneys for the co-founder highlighted inconsistencies in transaction data related to funds processed through Tornado Cash.
The defense is preparing to call expert witnesses to counter the prosecution’s claims about fund control mechanisms. This legal confrontation occurs amid increased regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrency mixers generally.
The trial’s outcome is anticipated to influence future regulatory approaches toward privacy-focused crypto tools. Law enforcement agencies globally are intensifying efforts to enforce anti-money laundering frameworks targeting services like Tornado Cash that may facilitate illicit financial flows.