Tornado Cash Co-Founder Roman Storm Set for December Trial After Motion to Dismiss Denied

Tornado Cash Co-Founder Roman Storm Set for December Trial After Motion to Dismiss Denied

Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash, is scheduled to stand trial in December following a New York judge's rejection of his motion to dismiss charges of money laundering and sanctions violations. The ruling, issued by Judge Katherine Polk Failla on September 27, has drawn criticism from the cryptocurrency community.

Judge Failla argued that Storm's role as a developer does not exempt him from accountability for the alleged crimes linked to Tornado Cash, which has been accused of facilitating $1 billion in money laundering, including funds associated with North Korea's Lazarus Group, a state-sponsored hacking organization known for targeting the digital asset sector.

Storm and fellow co-founder Roman Semenov face additional charges for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. If found guilty, Storm could face up to 45 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated that despite presenting Tornado Cash as a privacy service, Storm and Semenov were aware they were aiding criminals in concealing illicit gains.

The decision to proceed with the trial has sparked backlash within the crypto community. Jake Chervinsky, Chief Legal Officer at Variant, criticized the ruling, labeling it an infringement on software developers' freedoms. Amanda Tuminelli, Chief Legal Officer at the DeFi Education Fund, also expressed her concerns about the implications of the ruling for the industry.

Scheduled for December 2 in New York, Storm's trial is expected to attract significant attention from both legal experts and cryptocurrency advocates, given its potential implications for future regulations.