Tornado Cash: Accusations Against Me May Convict Software Development Itself, Impact Far Beyond the Cryptocurrency Industry
Odaily Planet Daily News: Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm responded to the lawsuit against himself in an article on X, stating: "I am being sued for writing open-source code that enables private encrypted transactions to be conducted in a completely unmanaged manner. This lawsuit represents a terrible conviction for privacy. The accusations against me may convict software development itself. If successful, its impact may extend far beyond the encryption industry, affecting every software developer. I face up to 45 years in prison on charges including operating an unlicensed remittance business, conspiring to launder money, and evading sanctions Storm's trial is scheduled for April 14, 2025. Storm's legal advisor Keri Axel stated, "This prosecution may classify software development itself as a crime." Storm also expressed the same view, stating that the charges against him may deter others from developing software and innovating in various industries. Romanian lawyer Storm believes that Tornado Cash is a tool, and every tool has a potential use, just like many other software platforms, developers cannot be sued for misuse of the tool. Yesterday, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin posted on the X platform stating that no one has fallen behind. Following the release of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, Tornado Cash team members Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm will be the next.