Roman Storm, developer and co-founder of Tornado Cash, has been found guilty in court of operating an unlicensed business. His charges raise significant legal questions.
Verdict and Charges
A jury in the Southern District of New York found Roman Storm guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money business. He faces a maximum sentence of five years. The jury did not reach a unanimous conclusion regarding other charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Evidence and Defense Position
During the trial, prosecutors presented witnesses, including agents from the FBI and IRS, who testified that Storm had the ability to modify Tornado Cash's code to prevent illicit use but chose not to. The defense brought in its own experts, including Ethereum developer Preston Van Loon and NAXO co-founder Matthew Edman.
Future of Roman Storm
The sentencing hearing for Roman Storm has yet to be scheduled, and he continues to assert his innocence. His X profile states that he is a 'proud U.S. citizen targeted by Biden's administration for writing open source code.' Supporters have contributed over $3 million to his legal defense.
The conviction of Roman Storm raises important questions about the legal responsibilities of developers in the cryptocurrency space and how authorities handle such cases.
