Tornado Cash co-founder: The accusations against me could potentially criminalize software development itself, with implications far beyond the encryption industry

Odaily Planet Daily News Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm responded to the lawsuit against himself in a post, saying, ‘I am being sued for writing Open Source code that enables fully non-custodial private encryption transactions. This lawsuit represents a terrifying conviction against privacy.’ The accusations against me could potentially criminalize software development itself. If successful, the impact could extend far beyond the encryption industry and affect every software developer. I face a maximum of 45 years in prison, with charges including operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and evading sanctions. Storm’s trial is scheduled for April 14, 2025. Storm’s legal counsel Keri Axel said, “This lawsuit could potentially criminalize software development itself.” Storm also expressed the same view, stating that the charges against him could deter others from developing software and innovating across industries. Romanian lawyer Storm believes that Tornado Cash is a tool, and every tool has potential uses. Just like many other software platforms, developers cannot be prosecuted because someone abuses the tool. Yesterday, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin posted on X platform that no one is left behind. After the release of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, Tornado Cash team members Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm will be next.