Why Vitalik Buterin Just Threw His Weight Behind a Convicted Tornado Cash Developer
Vitalik Buterin publicly supported convicted Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, emphasizing the necessity of privacy tools against surveillance.Summary
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has publicly backed Roman Storm, the lead developer of Tornado Cash, ahead of Storm's sentencing for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Buterin's support frames privacy tools as essential safeguards against digital surveillance, not criminal instruments, and he urged the crypto community to advocate for developers facing legal risks. Storm was convicted in August 2025 on one count, though a jury deadlocked on money laundering and sanctions charges. Tornado Cash, which uses zero-knowledge proofs for privacy, was sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2022. Buterin's personal letter stressed that the ability to choose who to share information with is a crucial 21st-century protection. In response, Storm thanked Buterin and called for community support, while the Ethereum Foundation and Keyring Network launched an initiative to fund his legal defense. The case raises significant questions about developer liability for decentralized software, with cautious optimism emerging from recent DOJ comments suggesting truly decentralized software might reduce liability.
(Source：BeInCrypto)