Tornado Cash Co-Founder Keeps Testimony Plans Unclear Ahead of Trial
Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash, is facing a US criminal trial starting July 14, 2023, on charges including money laundering and conspiracy. His legal team plans to contest allegations of profiting from illicit funds. Storm has not confirmed whether he will testify in his defense. He was indicted following sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department on Tornado Cash, which was accused of facilitating money laundering linked to North Korean hackers. Another co-founder, Roman Semenov, remains at large, while Alexey Pertsev has been sentenced to over five years in prison in the Netherlands for money laundering. Storm has received significant support from the crypto community, raising over $750,000 for his legal defense. He expressed mental distress due to the case and emphasized the need for recovery.
