The recent sentencing of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev in a Dutch court has left some in the crypto industry disappointed, but experts believe it will not affect the upcoming US case against Roman Storm, another Tornado Cash co-founder. Pertsev was convicted of laundering $1.2 billion in crypto and sentenced to five years and four months in prison.

Storm's trial in the US is set to begin on September 23, and his lawyers have submitted a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that writing code is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. Crypto organizations, including Coin Center, the Blockchain Association, and the DeFi Education Fund, have filed amicus briefs in support of Storm's motion, citing factual and legal errors in the government's indictment.

According to Peter Van Valkenburgh, research director at Coin Center, the verdict in the Netherlands should not impact Storm's case in the US, as the underlying criminal statutes and constitutional laws differ significantly between the two countries. Van Valkenburgh emphasized that the US has a higher bar for intent and negligence in money laundering cases, and that the First Amendment protects speech and expression, including the publication of software and websites.

Crypto organizations have expressed disappointment in Pertsev's verdict, but remain committed to defending developers' rights globally. Marisa Coppel, Head of Legal at the Blockchain Association, stated, "The right to code should be afforded to all software developers... We will continue to defend and advocate for the rights of developers here in the United States and around the world."