Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has made a third donation to support the legal defense of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, who is facing legal challenges.
New Steps in Supporting Roman Storm
Vitalik Buterin donated another 100 ETH, valued at approximately $240,000, to the legal defense of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm. This marks the third time Buterin has contributed to Storm’s defense. According to the Defend Roman Storm crowdsourcing page, there have been 148 different contributions to the fund, totaling over 327 ETH, valued at about $785,000.
Details of the Case Against Roman Storm
On September 26, 2024, U.S. Judge Katherine Failla denied Storm’s motion for dismissal, allowing the case to proceed. The charges against Storm are not considered baseless. Storm has pleaded not guilty, asserting that Tornado Cash is open-source software that anyone can use, and it is not under the control of its developers. If found guilty on all charges, Storm could face up to 45 years in prison.
Ongoing Support for Tornado Cash Community
The crypto community is actively supporting the developer, concerned about implications for open-source projects. In June 2024, it was reported that JusticeDAO was established to raise funds for the defense of Roman Storm and other Tornado Cash developers. The group raised over 654 ETH, valued at more than $1.5 million at current market prices. Despite sanctions from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and legal actions, deposits into the Tornado Cash mixer reached about $1.9 billion in the first half of 2024, a 50% increase from the previous year.
Vitalik Buterin's donations and the broader community support highlight the importance of defending open-source developers facing legal challenges.