Roman Storm Receives Support By Three Crypto Advocacy Entities

As per recent filings, three prominent cryptocurrency advocacy entities have affirmed their backing of Roman Storm, the developer behind the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, who is currently facing allegations by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The Blockchain Association and Coin Center DeFi Education Fund both submitted amicus briefs on April 5th in support of Storm&39s motion to dismiss the charges leveled against him.

Storm, an American national and one of the creators of the platform, was indicted alongside Roman Semenov, who is currently missing. Moreover, the co-founder of the crypto mixer, Alexey Pertsev, is undergoing trial in the Netherlands. Storm was arrested by US authorities for his involvement with Tornado Cash, and along with other individuals, he was charged with operating an illicit money transfer business and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Clarity Is Key

The Blockchain Association criticized the characterization of Tornado Cash by the DOJ as an illicit money transmission operation. They argue that the platform lacks control over the assets of their users, as required by FinCEN regulations, and therefore should not be classified as such. This perspective challenges the legal basis of one of the main charges against Storm and his associates.

On the other hand, the DeFi Education Fund questioned the invocation by the DOJ concerning the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in the case of Storm. They argue that such an interpretation could unfairly hold developers accountable for how others use their software and potentially stifle innovation in the software development sector. The Fund warned that this interpretation of the IEEPA could have severe consequences.

Defending Tornado Cash Devs

Addressing the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the amicus brief by Coin Center argued that Tornado Cash primarily serves as a privacy tool rather than a conduit for illicit activities. They draw an analogy between the use of cars by criminals and the use of computers by individuals, asserting that developers cannot be held responsible for all user actions.

Furthermore, Coin Center highlighted the efforts by Tornado Cash developers to block known espionage actors when it comes to accessing the service. They argue that this demonstrates a commitment to responsible oversight and contradicts allegations that the developers were indifferent to any and all malicious usage of the platform.