Ethereum News Today: Ethereum Foundation Pledges $500,000 to Support Roman Storm Legal Appeal

The Ethereum Foundation has pledged to match up to $500,000 in donations to support Roman Storm’s legal defense. This initiative aims to assist the co-founder of the Tornado Cash protocol in challenging his recent conviction related to operating an unlicensed money transmitter. The Foundation emphasized on its official X account that “Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime,” highlighting the broader implications of the case for software developers [1]. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also shared the post, amplifying the message within the crypto community.

Roman Storm was found guilty by a New York jury earlier this week on one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitter, while the jury deadlocked on other charges related to money laundering and sanctions violations. Prosecutors allege that Storm, through Tornado Cash, knowingly facilitated over $1 billion in money laundering activities and laundered millions for the North Korean hacker group Lazarus [1]. Storm has pleaded not guilty and is now preparing for an appeal, according to his defense attorney Brian Klein [1].

The case has sparked significant debate within the blockchain and crypto space, with advocates arguing that the act of developing decentralized financial tools should not be conflated with operating a financial business. The DeFi Education Fund, among other supporters, has expressed disappointment that the jury did not recognize the distinction between software development and financial intermediation [1]. They stress that developers should retain the freedom to build privacy-preserving technologies without facing legal repercussions for the actions of third-party users.

Free Pertsev & Storm, the legal aid organization supporting the co-founders of Tornado Cash, noted that Roman Storm could face up to five years in prison if the current conviction is upheld. If the U.S. government chooses to retry him on the other charges, the potential sentence could extend into decades [1]. The group emphasized the need for continued financial support to cover legal costs at both the trial and appellate levels, stating that the outcome of the case will establish a significant legal precedent for developers globally.

Blockchain developers and privacy advocates have joined the cause, framing the case as a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal and philosophical debate over the rights of software creators in the digital age. The outcome is expected to influence how legal systems interpret the responsibilities of developers in relation to decentralized protocols, particularly those designed to protect user privacy [1].

Source: [1] Ethereum Foundation pledges to match up to $500,000 in donations backing Roman Storm’s legal fight (https://www.theblock.co/post/366130/ethereum-foundation-500k-roman-storm?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss)