Roman Storm, co-founder of the cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash, will not stand trial for federal money laundering and sanctions violation charges until April 14, 2025. Judge Katherine Polk Failla of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered the trial adjourned after a November 1 telephone conference, providing Storm with additional time to prepare his defense.
Storm’s legal team has been pushing to dismiss the charges, arguing that the accusations are based solely on his role as a code developer for Tornado Cash. Prosecutors, however, charged Storm and co-founder Roman Semenov in 2023 with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to violate sanctions, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. The indictment has raised concerns across the crypto industry, with many arguing that Storm’s role in writing code does not justify criminal liability.
Background: Tornado Cash and Sanctions Controversy
In August 2022, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Tornado Cash to its Specially Designated Nationals list, alleging that the mixing service failed to prevent laundering of funds used by malicious cyber actors. Although Roman Storm was arrested in 2023 and subsequently released on a $2 million bond, co-founder Semenov remains at large and is currently on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Broader Legal Implications for Tornado Cash Developers
The charges against Storm and Semenov have sparked significant debate within the crypto community regarding the criminalization of software development. Authorities in the Netherlands have similarly pursued Tornado Cash co-founder Alexey Pertsev, who was found guilty of money laundering in May 2024 and sentenced to over five years in prison. As the trial date approaches, Storm’s case will likely continue to shape discussions around developer liability in decentralized finance and blockchain technologies.
