Roman Storm, co-founder of the privacy protocol Tornado Cash, is appealing for an additional $1.5 million for his legal defense fund as he faces charges that could significantly impact cryptocurrency privacy tools and decentralized finance (DeFi) innovation.
The defense initiative has already garnered over $3.9 million, including a substantial $750,000 contribution from the Ethereum Foundation.
Storm stands accused by U.S. authorities of money laundering and violating sanctions.
His legal team maintains that Tornado Cash operates as a decentralized, non-custodial service—merely a tool—and argues that the development and publication of its underlying code constitutes protected speech under the First Amendment.
The outcome of Storm’s trial is anticipated to establish a critical legal precedent, influencing the future regulatory landscape for privacy-oriented protocols within the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
This case underscores the persistent friction between the development of privacy-enhancing technologies and adherence to regulatory compliance standards.
It follows the recent conviction of Tornado Cash co-creator Alexey Pertsev on money laundering charges in the Netherlands.