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Trial of Tornado Cash Founder Roman Storm Postponed Until April 2025
- Roman Storm’s trial, initially set for December 2024, has been postponed to April 14, 2025, allowing time to resolve disputes over expert witness disclosures; a related hearing is scheduled for November 12, 2024.
- Storm faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, sanctions violations, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, with a potential sentence of up to 45 years if convicted.
- The case highlights tensions in the crypto community, as critics warn that holding developers responsible for users’ actions could hinder innovation in decentralised applications and raise privacy concerns.
For those closely following the case of Tornado Cash’s co-founder, Roman Storm, I’ve got some… news, but I’m not sure if it’s good or bad.
But Storm’s trial has been postponed until April 14, 2025. Judge Katherine Polk Failla of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York announced the new date during a conference held on November 1, 2024.
Initially scheduled for December 2024, the trial has been pushed back by four months to allow the prosecution and defence additional time to resolve disputes over expert witness disclosures.
Related: Crypto Leaders Anticipate New US Policy Direction Regardless Who Wins White House
The Tornado Cash Case
The delay in Storm’s trial stems partly from a disagreement over expert witness disclosures. Storm’s defence team has raised concerns that revealing this information prematurely could undermine their defence approach.
In an attempt to safeguard their strategy, the defence filed a mandamus petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, requesting a review of the judge’s order on the matter. The court has scheduled a hearing for this petition on November 12, 2024.
Storm faces multiple serious charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to violate sanctions, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
The case surrounding Tornado Cash developers has caused controversy and outrage in the crypto community because it raises concerns about the future of decentralised technologies and the right to privacy.
Critics and market observers argue that holding developers accountable for users’ actions could stifle innovation and deter the creation of decentralised applications (dApps) that prioritise user privacy, even more so if these dApps are open-source and can be shared with others.
Storm could face a maximum prison sentence of 45 years if found guilty on all counts. Currently out on a US$2M (AU$3M) bond, Storm claims he’s innocent, having pleaded not guilty following his 2023 arrest.
Author
José Oramas
José is a journalist and translator with a keen interest in blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
