Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin published a public letter supporting Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm ahead of his pending sentencing.
Storm faces up to five years in prison following his August conviction for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Buterin framed privacy tools as fundamental protections against digital surveillance rather than criminal instruments.
What Happened
A federal jury convicted Storm in August 2025 but deadlocked on more serious charges including money laundering and sanctions violations.
The Ethereum Foundation and Keyring Network launched a joint initiative in October 2025 directing protocol fees from zkVerified vaults to Storm's legal defense for two months.
The foundation pledged $500,000 for Storm's legal expenses.
Storm's defense fund raised over $6.39 million in 2025 from supporters including Buterin.
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Why It Matters
The case spotlights growing legal risks for developers of privacy-preserving blockchain technologies.
Storm's co-founder Alexey Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in Dutch prison in May 2024.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti stated in August 2025 that writing code without criminal intent is not a crime, though his remarks remain non-binding.
The prosecution of Tornado Cash developers has divided the cryptocurrency industry over whether creating software constitutes criminal conduct when third parties misuse it for illicit purposes.
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