Vitalik Buterin helps Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm with $170k New Year donation
Vitalik Buterin donated 50 ETH (approximately $170,000) to support Roman Storm, a developer of Tornado Cash, for his legal defense. Storm expressed gratitude for Buterin's support during a challenging time. The legal defense fund has raised $640,061 towards a $2 million target. Storm faces trial on April 14 for alleged money laundering and sanctions violations related to Tornado Cash. His legal team filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that a recent court ruling questions the US Treasury's authority to sanction Tornado Cash's smart contracts, which operate autonomously. The defense claims this autonomy negates the assertion that Storm knowingly violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). They argue that the decentralized nature of Tornado Cash makes it impossible to attribute its activities to Storm, removing the intent required for money laundering charges. The case has sparked community support, emphasizing that creating open-source privacy tools is protected speech.
