Tornado Cash Co-Founder Seeks $3.5 Million for Legal Defense

Roman Storm, the co-founder of the crypto mixing service Tornado Cash, has made an urgent plea for financial assistance ahead of his trial, which is set to begin on Monday. Storm has requested $500,000 immediately to cover his legal expenses, with an additional $1 million needed within the next few weeks. He posted on X on Saturday, stating that he faces a "critical shortfall" and that his team is working tirelessly to defend code as free speech, protect software development, and push back against government overreach.

In May, an organization set up to provide legal aid to the Tornado Cash founders, projected that the total legal costs for Storm’s trial would be $2 million. However, Storm recently updated this estimate, stating that his legal fees will now amount to $3.5 million. The trial, which was initially anticipated to last two weeks, could now extend up to four weeks due to complex legal arguments and unforeseen witnesses and evidence.

Storm was arrested in August 2023 on charges of money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitter, and conspiracy to violate US sanctions. If found guilty, he faces up to 45 years in prison. On Friday, Storm’s legal team attempted to postpone the trial, arguing that prosecutors disclosed a witness after the scheduled deadline had ended. However, Judge Katherine Failla, who is overseeing Storm’s criminal trial, ruled that she would not allow any mention of the US Treasury’s sanctions levied against Tornado Cash, which were withdrawn in March.

Storm is attempting to raise $3.5 million in total for his legal defense. At the time of writing, he has managed to raise approximately $1.96 million, which is about 57% of the goal. The donations are made in Ether (ETH), and the amount raised can fluctuate based on the value of ETH. In April, the crypto lobbying group the DeFi Education Fund petitioned the Trump administration to end the so-called “lawless prosecution” of open-source software developers, including Roman Storm.

Last month, the Ethereum Foundation pledged to donate $500,000 and match community donations up to $750,000 for Storm’s legal defense. Additionally, MetaCartel’s Bill Warren announced that the MetaCartel DAO has contributed all the funds it had left in its treasury to support the cause. The community's support for Storm's legal defense highlights the broader implications of his trial for the crypto industry and the protection of open-source software development.