Tornado Cash Trial: Roman Storm’s Legal Battle Could Decide DeFi’s Fate

"If I lose, DeFi dies with me."

Roman Storm, co-founder of the now-infamous privacy tool Tornado Cash, is headed to trial — and the stakes go way beyond one developer. This case could redefine the line between open-source code and criminal liability.

⏳ What’s Happening

Storm’s trial begins July 14, 2025, in New York. But already, drama is building. His legal team wants to delay the trial over a controversial government witness who allegedly used Tornado Cash to launder funds post-hack.

The issue? The witness was revealed after the deadline, and Storm’s lawyers say their testimony could mislead jurors into thinking Storm helped plan the crime — which they firmly deny.

“This would unfairly bias the jury into thinking he intended the hack. He didn’t.” — Storm’s legal team

They also argue the witness could trigger an emotional reaction from jurors, tilting the trial against Storm. If the court allows the testimony, expect a last-minute delay request.

🔥 The Charges (And What’s Really on Trial)

Storm is charged with:

• 💸 Money laundering
• 🏦 Running an unlicensed money transmitter
• 🚫 Violating U.S. sanctions, specifically linked to Tornado Cash’s use by North Korea’s Lazarus Group

But the broader fight? Whether writing privacy code can land you in prison. Tornado Cash is open-source. Storm didn’t run it — he helped create it. Now he’s being held responsible for how others used it.

Critics say this criminalizes code — and threatens the entire ethos of DeFi.

“SDNY is trying to crush me, blocking every expert witness. If I lose, DeFi dies with me.” — Roman Storm

🧑‍⚖️ Crypto Community Claps Back

The backlash is fierce:

• 🧠 Vitalik Buterin and Matt Huang are fundraising for Storm’s defense
• 🧵 Crypto Twitter is rallying behind the #CodeIsNotCrime movement
• ⚖️ Free speech lawyers argue this case clashes with the First Amendment

Even Senator Cynthia Lummis jumped in:

"Cryptography is speech. Criminalizing privacy tools is dangerous."

She emphasized the importance of crypto innovation — and warned that punishing devs for privacy features could chill progress.

🌍 The Global Picture

Storm’s co-founder Alexey Pertsev already got 5+ years in the Netherlands. The third co-founder, Roman Semenov, is still on the run — reportedly in Russia.

If Storm loses, the precedent could be devastating:

• 🔐 Writing privacy code = criminal risk
• 🧑‍💻 Devs could face jail for how their tools are used
• ⚖️ Courts may say intent doesn’t matter — only the outcome

⚔️ TL;DR

• Roman Storm’s trial starts July 14 — but may be delayed over witness dispute
• He’s accused of enabling money laundering via Tornado Cash
• Defense says he’s being punished for writing open-source privacy code
• Outcome could define how U.S. law treats DeFi devs, open-source tools, and encryption