- Buy Crypto
- Markets
Futures- Spot
- Copy Trade
- Earn
- More
Tornado Cash Co-Founder Still Faces Trial Despite DOJ Retraction
By: coin central|2025/05/16 07:45:05
0
Share
TLDRRoman Storm Still Faces Trial Despite DOJ Dropping One ChargeMain Charges Stick: Tornado Cash Trial Moves Ahead in JulyDOJ Backs Off One Count, But Crypto Privacy Case ProceedsStorm to Stand Trial as DOJ Refines Focus on Laundering ChargesTornado Cash Co-Founder’s Trial Tests U.S. Crypto LawsTornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm will still face trial despite the Department of Justice dropping part of its original charges. The DOJ decided not to proceed with a charge that conflicts with FinCEN’s 2019 guidance on non-custodial entities. However, prosecutors confirmed they will continue pursuing charges related to money laundering and unlicensed money transmission.Huge news and part way there. It is very good that the DOJ will not proceed to trial on the 1960(b)(1)(B) charge. That's the charge of unlicensed money transmission that plainly and directly contradicts the FinCEN 2019 guidance saying non-custodial entities are not money... https://t.co/BE30Hn69Ir— Peter Van Valkenburgh (@valkenburgh) May 15, 2025Although the DOJ removed one element of the charge related to operating an unlicensed money transmission business, key charges remain. The agency dropped the portion that conflicts with guidance stating that non-custodial software developers are not money transmitters. This aligns with the recent DOJ memo discouraging prosecution based on regulatory overlap.Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm will face prosecution for allegedly conspiring to launder funds and evade U.S. sanctions. The trial is set for July 14 in a Manhattan federal court. The DOJ claims Storm knowingly transmitted funds derived from criminal sources through Tornado Cash.Legal Ambiguities Raise Questions on Application of LawThe charges have sparked debate over the DOJ’s interpretation of U.S. money transmission laws and their overlap with the Bank Secrecy Act. Critics argue that the remaining charges rely on unclear legal definitions and should be dismissed under the rule of lenity. They say Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm built neutral software that should not fall under these criminal provisions.Despite public concerns, the DOJ maintains that Storm’s role extended beyond development and into conspiracy to assist in laundering activities. Authorities insist the platform was used to conceal illicit proceeds, which forms the basis of the prosecution. However, legal advocates continue challenging the fairness and clarity of the charges.Ongoing Case Follows Broader Debate on Crypto Privacy ToolsTornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm was initially charged in 2023 for developing a platform allegedly used for laundering over $7 billion. U.S. authorities linked Tornado Cash to high-profile hacks and sanctioned the platform in 2022. The Treasury later reversed that decision in March, after a court ruled the smart contracts were not property.While one Tornado Cash developer faced sentencing in the Netherlands, Storm’s case marks a test of U.S. policy on privacy protocols. Prosecutors argue the platform enabled unlawful use despite being open-source and immutable. Nevertheless, privacy advocates claim such tools are essential for blockchain anonymity and user protection.The DOJ’s updated approach under a new administration signals a shift away from prosecuting platforms and toward targeting bad actors. Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm remains a central figure in an unresolved legal debate. His trial outcome could impact future interpretations of crypto development and user responsibility. The post Tornado Cash Co-Founder Still Faces Trial Despite DOJ Retraction appeared first on CoinCentral.
You may also like
Why did the star Web3 project Across Protocol choose to abandon DAO?
The proposal for Across to privatize itself is a rare move, but it comes at a time when the industry is beginning to recognize that DAOs are a difficult organizational structure to operate.
In fact, ETH scaling is a major benefit for L2
ETH has finally admitted defeat—its Rollup-centric roadmap is unworkable, while the monolithic scaling solutions adopted by blockchains like Solana have proven to be correct.
Memories: 10 Key Contributions of the TON Core Team That Few People Knew in the Early Days
Every line of code, every tool we build, every sleepless night spent maintaining the network—these efforts have laid the foundation for TON's development today.
2025 South Korea CEX Listing Post-Mortem: Investing in New Coins = 70% Loss?
The 2025 South Korean exchange's new token listing performance is structurally similar to Binance's, with no significant differences.
BIP-360 Analysis: Bitcoin's First Step Towards Quantum Immunity, But Why Only the "First Step"?
This article explains how BIP-360 reshapes Bitcoin's quantum defense strategy, analyzes its enhancements, and discusses why it has not yet achieved full post-quantum security.
50 million USDT exchanged for 35,000 USD AAVE: How did the disaster happen? Who should we blame?
Due to a fatal flaw in the transaction path, a $50 million DeFi operation was executed with almost zero protection, resulting in nearly the entire amount of funds evaporating in a tiny liquidity pool.
The Cryptographic Past of the Middle East
Reality is often more exciting than fiction.
Resolving the Intergenerational Prisoner's Dilemma: The Inevitable Path of Nomadic Capital Bitcoin
When the baby boomer generation collectively sells off, who will become the "greater fool" in the next round of asset crashes?
Who Will Control AI? Why Decentralized AI May Be the Only Alternative to Government and Big Tech
AI has become critical infrastructure, and governments and corporations are competing to control it. Centralized development and regulation are entrenching existing power structures. The Web3 community is building a decentralized alternative — distributed compute, token incentives, and community governance — before that window closes.
Vitalik wrote a proposal teaching you how to secretly use AI large models
Vitalik believes that in the AI era, users should not have to give up their identity to use an AI tool.
On the eve of the explosion of on-chain options
Options are becoming a new anchor in the cryptocurrency market.
WEEX AI Hackathon: How Did This AI Trading Winner Succeed?
A self-taught AI trading enthusiast achieved top-10 results at the WEEX AI Hackathon. Learn about the mindset, AI tools, and lessons behind this impressive performance.
One Balance to Rule Them All: Gravitas' On-Chain Prime Broker Ambition
Forty years ago, a technological revolution broke the isolation of information, reshaping Wall Street. Forty years later, Grvt aims to break the isolation of capital with an on-chain prime brokerage model.
That person who cashed out at the NFT peak is now selling a new shovel in the OpenClaw craze
A skilled person never picks the table, they eat meat with every bite.
Inter-generational Prisoner's Dilemma Resolution: The Nomadic Capital and Bitcoin's Inevitable Path
When the Baby Boomer generation collectively sells off, who will be the "bag holder" in the next asset crash?
Upstream and downstream are starting to fight, all for the sake of everyone being able to "Lobster"
「Lobster」 may not be a mature product yet, but it has already ushered in a new era of 「AI Assistants」.
Circle and Mastercard Announce Partnership, the Next Stage for the Crypto Industry Belongs to Payments
Stablecoins are transitioning from a speculative tool to real financial scenarios such as payments, cross-border transfers, and store of value.
From 5 Mao per kWh of Chinese electricity to a $45 API export: Tokens are rewriting currency units
When the same unit can both measure hashing power and facilitate payments, it ceases to be just a term and begins to evolve into a new currency of both value and influence.
Why did the star Web3 project Across Protocol choose to abandon DAO?
The proposal for Across to privatize itself is a rare move, but it comes at a time when the industry is beginning to recognize that DAOs are a difficult organizational structure to operate.
In fact, ETH scaling is a major benefit for L2
ETH has finally admitted defeat—its Rollup-centric roadmap is unworkable, while the monolithic scaling solutions adopted by blockchains like Solana have proven to be correct.
Memories: 10 Key Contributions of the TON Core Team That Few People Knew in the Early Days
Every line of code, every tool we build, every sleepless night spent maintaining the network—these efforts have laid the foundation for TON's development today.
2025 South Korea CEX Listing Post-Mortem: Investing in New Coins = 70% Loss?
The 2025 South Korean exchange's new token listing performance is structurally similar to Binance's, with no significant differences.
BIP-360 Analysis: Bitcoin's First Step Towards Quantum Immunity, But Why Only the "First Step"?
This article explains how BIP-360 reshapes Bitcoin's quantum defense strategy, analyzes its enhancements, and discusses why it has not yet achieved full post-quantum security.
50 million USDT exchanged for 35,000 USD AAVE: How did the disaster happen? Who should we blame?
Due to a fatal flaw in the transaction path, a $50 million DeFi operation was executed with almost zero protection, resulting in nearly the entire amount of funds evaporating in a tiny liquidity pool.
App