Roman Storm, a co-founder of the cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash, is seeking financial assistance from the crypto community to fund his legal defense against charges from the US government.

Storm Appeals to Web3 Community for Support

On January 22, Storm took to X to express his fear about the upcoming year and to call on the community to donate passionately to his legal defense. Donations will be directed through JusticeDAO, a decentralized organization managing legal issues for Tornado Cash.

Background and Legal Challenges

Storm's plea follows his 2023 arrest by US authorities, despite his cooperation with the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into Tornado Cash's alleged illicit activities. In August 2022, Dutch authorities arrested Alex Pertsev, another co-founder, followed by sanctions from the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against Tornado Cash for money laundering and sanctions violations.

Indictment Details

The DOJ accuses Storm and Pertsev of facilitating the laundering of over $1 billion in criminal proceeds, including funds for North Korea's Lazarus Group. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated that the charges are a warning against using crypto and mixers like Tornado Cash to conceal criminal activities.

Implications for DeFi and Open-Source Protocols

The arrests have sparked concern among crypto advocates, who argue that the DOJ and OFAC's actions threaten the freedom of developers to publish open-source software. This case is seen as setting a dangerous precedent for those contributing to public protocols.

Community Response

In response, the crypto community, including Bankless, has begun donating to Storm's defense. Bankless contributed $10,000 and encouraged further support. Pertsev's trial is set for late March, while Storm's trial will begin in early September 2024.