The Ethereum Foundation said it will be donating $500,000 to the legal defense of Tornado Cash co-founder and developer Roman Storm, who faces charges related to allegations he conspired to run the crypto mixing service as an unlicensed money transmitter.
In a Friday X post, the foundation said it would contribute $500,000 to Storm’s defense, as well as match up to an additional $750,000 in donations from the crypto community.
The announcement came roughly a month before Storm is expected to stand trial in New York for money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitter, and conspiracy to violate US sanctions.
“Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime,” said the foundation.
Storm’s criminal trial comes as US authorities appear to be shifting their approach to regulating digital assets and prosecuting related crimes.
The Tornado Cash developer’s lawyers requested the case be dropped in December after a judge ruled that the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control exceeded its authority in sanctioning the mixer’s smart contracts. As of Friday, the trial is expected to begin on July 14.
“In 31 days, I face trial,” said Storm in a Friday X post. “The DOJ wants to bury DeFi, saying I should’ve controlled it, added KYC, never built it. SDNY is trying to crush me, blocking every expert witness. If I lose, DeFi dies with me.”
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Roman Semenov, another Tornado Cash developer named in the same indictment as Storm, was still at large at the time of publication. Reports suggested he may be hiding in Russia.
Alexey Pertsev, the third individual connected to Tornado Cash, was arrested in the Netherlands in 2022 shortly after the US sanctioned addresses tied to the mixing protocol. In May 2024, he was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to more than five years in prison.
The Ethereum Foundation has similarly pledged $1.25 million to Pertsev’s defense fund, citing the same reasons regarding privacy and code.
Support for Storm from digital asset advocacy groups
Storm’s and the other Tornado Cash developers’ cases have drawn support from advocacy organizations and significant figures in the crypto industry, calling for charges to be dropped.
Lawyers for the Coin Center, DeFi Education Fund, and Blockchain Association have all filed amicus briefs in Storm’s case, providing information on the possible repercussions if he were to be convicted. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Paradigm founder Matt Huang have also contributed to the Tornado Cash co-founders’ legal funds.
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