The landmark trial against Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm has reached a critical phase as jury deliberations stalled and prompted an Allen Charge instruction from the presiding judge. Storm faces charges of laundering over $1 billion in illicit funds through the Ethereum-based privacy mixer.
The deadlocked jury underscores the complexity of the case, which centers on whether cryptocurrency developers can be held legally accountable for third-party misuse of their open-source software. Federal Judge Katherine Failla issued the rare Allen Charge yesterday, urging jurors to re-examine their positions and resume deliberations toward a verdict.
Legal observers emphasize that this trial’s outcome could establish far-reaching precedents for developer liability within decentralized technologies. The prosecution contends Storm knowingly designed Tornado Cash to conceal criminal transactions, while defense counsel maintains the service behaves as neutral infrastructure similar to blockchain protocols themselves.
The proceedings are being closely monitored across the cryptocurrency sector, with implications potentially reshaping developer responsibilities, innovation protocols, and future regulatory approaches. How courts interpret culpability for open-source code creators could impact upcoming blockchain legislation worldwide.