Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has donated another 100 ETH—worth around $240,000—to support the legal defense of Roman Storm, a developer of Tornado Cash. This marks the third donation Buterin has made to help fund Storm’s defense.
Strong Support for Roman Storm’s Legal Defense
Roman Storm, a key developer of the Tornado Cash privacy protocol, has been facing legal challenges since the U.S. sanctioned the platform in 2022. The United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accused Tornado Cash of facilitating money laundering through its services. To date, the Defend Roman Storm crowdfunding initiative has collected over 327 ETH (about $785,000) from 148 individual donations.
After Buterin’s recent contribution, Storm expressed his gratitude, stating, “I can’t describe how much it means to me. Thank you for your long-lasting support.”
Legal Developments in Roman Storm’s Case
On September 26, 2024, U.S. District Judge Katherine Failla ruled against dismissing the case, stating the charges brought against Roman Storm are valid. Judge Failla emphasized that Storm couldn’t claim to be prosecuted solely for writing code, refuting the notion that the charges were unfounded.
Storm, who has pleaded not guilty, argues that Tornado Cash is open-source software that operates independently of its developers. If convicted on all three charges, Storm could face up to 45 years in prison—a possibility that has alarmed the cryptocurrency community, prompting significant public support.
JusticeDAO and Continued Support for Tornado Cash Developers
In response to the legal challenges, JusticeDAO was formed in June 2024 to crowdfund legal aid for Tornado Cash’s developers. The DAO has raised over 654 ETH, valued at around $1.5 million, further demonstrating the widespread backing for Storm and his team.
Despite the sanctions from OFAC and ongoing legal scrutiny, Tornado Cash has seen an increase in activity. By mid-2024, deposits into the privacy-focused mixer had surged to $1.9 billion—a 50% increase compared to the previous year. These numbers suggest that Tornado Cash remains popular among users seeking to protect their privacy, particularly as the platform continues to operate outside the reach of sanctions when users avoid centralized exchanges that comply with OFAC regulations.
