The Blockchain Association, Coin Center, and DeFi Education Fund have thrown their weight behind a motion urging the U.S. government to drop charges against Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash, as they assert that Tornado Cash had no control over users' funds or communications within the cryptocurrency mixer.

In filings submitted on April 5 to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the three U.S.-based cryptocurrency advocacy groups argued that the allegations against Roman Storm lack merit. They contend that Storm should not face three felony charges, pointing to potential First Amendment concerns regarding accusations of violating sanctions and the U.S. government's purported misunderstanding of the relationship between smart contract protocols and their developers in cases of alleged money laundering.

Marisa Coppel, the Head of Legal at the Blockchain Association, emphasized the potential ramifications of the government's legal stance, stating, "Adoption of the government’s legal theory would not only have adverse repercussions for the digital asset industry but also raise serious concerns regarding fintech more generally." Coppel urged the court to dismiss the charges against Storm, asserting that doing so would protect the defendants' rights and uphold the integrity of the rapidly expanding digital asset sector.

The U.S. Justice Department announced charges against Storm and co-developer Roman Semenov in August 2023. Storm has pleaded not guilty to all three charges and is currently out on a $2 million bond, with significant travel restrictions. Semenov's whereabouts remain unknown at the time of publication, but Storm is scheduled to stand trial in September.

In a related development, Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev was arrested in the Netherlands in August 2022 but was later released after spending approximately nine months in custody. Dutch authorities alleged his involvement in North Korean hacking groups using the crypto mixer to launder around $1 billion in illicit funds.

These cases are all linked to the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control adding crypto addresses associated with Tornado Cash to its list of Specially Designated Nationals — sanctioned entities. This decision prompted some crypto advocates to take legal action against the U.S. Treasury. However, both cases are currently pending appeal after losing summary judgment motions.