A U.S. federal judge has postponed the retrial of Tornado Cash co-fo under Roman Storm until April 26, 2027, extending a legal battle that could shape how U.S. authorities treat developers of privacy-focused crypto software.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla ordered the delay on Aug. 25. The decision came while the court continues to consider Storm’s pending motion seeking acquittal. His defense had requested additional time, while prosecutors had previously pushed for an October 2026 retrial.
The revised schedule sets a final pretrial conference for April 20, 2027. Expert disclosures will begin in February, giving both sides additional time to prepare.
The Charges Still Facing Storm
Storm went to trial in 2025 over his role in developing Tornado Cash, an Ethereum-based privacy protocol that prosecutors alleged helped facilitate the movement of illicit funds.
A Manhattan jury convicted him in August 2025 on a conspiracy charge involving the operation of an unlicensed money-transmitting business. However, jurors could not reach unanimous verdicts on allegations involving money laundering and violations of U.S. sanctions.
Those two unresolved charges are the basis for the planned retrial. Each carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years, giving the case significant stakes for Storm and the broader crypto industry.
A Broader Test for Crypto Privacy
Storm has also challenged his existing conviction through a motion for acquittal. The court heard arguments on that motion in April 2026 but has not yet issued a ruling.
The case has attracted attention from privacy advocates and crypto developers because it raises questions about when software creators can face criminal liability for how users deploy decentralized protocols.
For now, Storm’s legal fight will remain unresolved well into 2027. The April trial date could still change depending on the court’s ruling on his acquittal motion.
