Court ruling publicly released by the U.S. Department of Justice

DOJ Opposes Dismissal, Accuses Tornado Cash Developer Roman Storm of Money Laundering

Apr 29, 2024, 03:42 AM

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opposed a motion to dismiss charges against Roman Storm, a developer associated with Tornado Cash, a service designed to anonymize cryptocurrency transactions. The DOJ argues that Storm's involvement extends beyond mere coding, highlighting that Tornado Cash has been utilized by entities like North Korea's Lazarus Group for money laundering. The DOJ also claims Storm profited millions from his contributions to the project. This case, scrutinizing the DOJ's broad interpretation of money transmitters, is viewed as pivotal in the crypto industry, with significant implications for privacy and the interpretation of laws around emerging technologies.