Tornado Cash Developer Roman Storm to Face Retrial, Code as Crime in Focus

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has formally applied for a retrial of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, accusing him of money laundering and violating sanctions regulations. Last year, after a four-week trial in the Southern District of New York, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on two charges, resulting in a deadlock.

Storm, 36, could face a maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted, including two pending conspiracy charges (up to 20 years each) and a previously determined 5-year sentence. He stated on social media: "This is about making open source code a crime." He emphasized that he did not control the operation of the Tornado Cash protocol and was never directly involved in any transactions, but simply developed publicly available smart contracts.

Supporters argue that open-source code is essentially a form of free speech, and developers should not be held criminally liable for third-party misuse of their technology. Regulators, however, insist that Tornado Cash, as a cryptocurrency mixing tool, is widely used to conceal illegal financial flows and has a clear purpose of circumventing sanctions, and developers should bear corresponding responsibility. Storm also pointed out that the current U.S. government's attitude towards the crypto industry is easing. He cited President Trump's statement that "the crypto war is over" and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's memo stating that "the DOJ is not a digital asset regulator and will not hold protocol developers accountable for user behavior," questioning the prosecution's contradictory logic. Despite facing serious legal risks, Storm has publicly called for public support, urging all those who value financial privacy and agree with the "code is speech" concept to lend a hand. He said: "This is not just my fight, but a moment for all developers and privacy advocates."