Jury Begins Deliberations in Landmark Tornado Cash Founder Trial

Jury deliberations have officially begun in the United States in the high-profile case against Roman Storm, co-founder of the decentralized cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash. Following the completion of closing arguments, the 12 jurors are now tasked with determining whether Storm is responsible for facilitating large-scale money laundering through his role in the development of the platform. The trial, considered a landmark case in the evolving legal landscape of blockchain technology, has drawn significant attention from both the cryptocurrency community and regulatory bodies.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has argued that Tornado Cash was intentionally designed to enable illicit actors to obscure the origins of stolen cryptocurrency, with over $1 billion in funds allegedly laundered through the platform. Prosecutors have emphasized that Roman Storm and his co-founder, Roman Semenov, were aware of the platform’s potential for misuse and failed to implement adequate safeguards to prevent criminal activity [1][5]. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gianforti characterized Tornado Cash as a tool primarily used for illegal activity, including helping North Korea’s Lazarus Group evade sanctions. He argued that the platform played a key role in obscuring funds tied to high-profile crypto hacks, including the KuCoin and Ronin incidents. According to the prosecution, $350 million was moved through the platform after sanctions were announced, and they painted Storm as an active conspirator in facilitating illicit financial flows [1].

Storm’s defense, led by attorney David Patton, has maintained that the software was developed as a privacy tool and was not intended for criminal use. The defense has highlighted the open-source and decentralized nature of Tornado Cash, which means that no single individual controls its operations. The argument centers on whether developers of such tools can be held legally accountable for how their software is used by others [6][8]. Patton compared Tornado Cash to other dual-use technologies that can serve both lawful users and bad actors, and insisted that simply knowing the platform could be misused is not equivalent to willful participation in criminal conduct. “Roman’s intent was entirely the opposite,” Patton said, and pointed out that Storm did not celebrate when learning that North Korean hackers exploited the service. He explained that a criminal conviction requires clear proof of willful intent, not just awareness of misuse.

Closing arguments concluded with a judge delivering final jury instructions, outlining the legal standards the panel must apply in reaching its decision. The potential consequences for Storm are severe, with a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison if found guilty on all charges [4]. The jury’s decision is expected to be delivered in early August [2].

The outcome of this case could set a significant legal precedent regarding the liability of cryptocurrency developers in the U.S. legal system. It raises broader questions about the balance between innovation in the blockchain space and the need for regulatory oversight to prevent financial crime. The trial has also highlighted the challenges faced by law enforcement in addressing decentralized technologies that operate without a central authority [9].

As the deliberation process unfolds, the cryptocurrency industry and legal experts are closely watching. The trial has sparked discussions about how to define liability in the context of decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms and whether existing financial regulations can effectively address the unique nature of such technologies.

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[1] AInvest, https://www.ainvest.com/news/jury-weighs-case-tornado-cash-founder-landmark-crypto-trial-2507/

[2] CoinGeek, https://coingeek.com/tornado-cash-trial-nears-an-end/

[5] Yahoo.co, https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/jury-set-begin-deliberations-roman-202031164.html

[4] Cointelegraph, https://cointelegraph.com/news/roman-storm-trial-closing-arguments

[6] X, https://x.com/Blockworks_/status/195066179****339965

[8] Holder.io, https://holder.io/news/jury-deliberations-roman-storm-trial/

[9] CoinDesk, https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/07/30/samourai-wallet-devs-plead-guilty-to-conspiring-to-run-unlicensed-money-transmitter