US DOJ Wants To Retry Tornado Cash’s Roman Storm in October

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking a retrial for Roman Storm, a co-founder of Tornado Cash, on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate US sanctions. A previous jury found Storm guilty of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business but was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the more serious charges. Despite a shift in policy under the Trump administration to avoid “regulation by prosecution,” the DOJ is pushing forward with the case, arguing that Storm knowingly operated Tornado Cash as a tool for cybercriminals. The defense maintains that Tornado Cash is permissionless software beyond Storm’s control. The timing of the DOJ’s decision comes after a US Treasury report acknowledged legitimate uses for crypto mixers, creating tension within the administration. The industry has rallied around Storm’s defense, raising over $5 million for his legal fund, fearing that a conviction could severely impact DeFi developers in the US.

(Source：BeInCrypto)