Roman Storm, co-founder of the cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash, is preparing for his court trial expected in less than two weeks. The charges against him are serious, including money laundering and conspiracy.
Charges and Upcoming Trial
In an interview, Roman Storm stated that his legal team intends to address the allegations that he had personally profited from illicit funds through his role at Tornado Cash. He declined to comment on whether he would testify in his own defense against money laundering, operating an unlicensed money transmitter, and conspiracy to violate US sanctions. “This is the decision that we will make,” said Storm. “I don’t have a 100% answer right now. I may or may not.”
Support from the Crypto Community
Since his arrest, Storm has received substantial support from many in the crypto industry, who have decried his indictment as an attack on developers and privacy rights. Notable figures such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Paradigm founder Matt Huang have contributed thousands to his legal fund, which reportedly exceeded $750,000 as of June 26.
Life Before Trial and Storm's Thoughts
Storm noted that he has been experiencing significant mental distress due to the case. “I’ve got a lot of mental damage from this case, obviously,” he said. “It’s so damaging [...] you believed in one thing, you believed that there is a common sense, there is a misunderstanding, and you’re getting this harsh things going on in your life. I would definitely need to recover myself for some time to get back into what I love.”
Roman Storm's trial is scheduled to begin in New York on July 14. This case draws attention not only for its legal implications but also for the extensive support from the crypto community.
