A David-and-Goliath Battle for Open-Source and Privacy
The Ethereum Foundation has joined one of the most consequential legal battles in cryptocurrency history, pledging $500,000 and agreeing to match up to $750,000 in public contributions to fight Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm. Storm is to stand trial on July 14, 2025, in Manhattan federal court, where he faces charges of money laundering, violating U.S. sanctions, and running an unlicensed money transmitter.
“Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime,” the Ethereum Foundation declared on X, aligning itself with Storm and the broader developer community in defense of open-source code.
Roman Storm and the Trial That Could Shape DeFi’s Future
Storm was indicted in 2023 with his role in the creation of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer platform that authorities alleged facilitated over $1 billion in criminality. His colleagues argue the prosecution criminalizes open-source development and jeopardizes the pillars of decentralized finance (DeFi).
“In 31 days, I go to trial,” Storm wrote. “If I lose, DeFi dies with me.”
His co-founder, Roman Semenov, also remains at large, while another Tornado Cash developer, Alexey Pertsev, was convicted in the Netherlands and sentenced to over five years.
Government Crackdown vs. Community Pushback
Tornado Cash was added to sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2022 for being utilized to launder $7 billion since 2019. The move drew sharp criticism, with devs arguing that sanctioning immutable smart contracts oversteps legal boundaries.
Storm was initially charged with operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business—this charge was later waived. Money laundering and sanctions evasion charges remain.
Ethereum Foundation’s new vow is just the latest to add to growing pushback in the crypto world, defying perceived overreach of the law.
Support from Vitalik Buterin, JusticeDAO, and Industry-Wide
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin had already contributed 50 ETH (nearly $170,000) via the JusticeDAO-backing Juicebox project “Free Pertsev and Storm.” The fund drive has since raised over $650,000 in defense funds.
Buterin’s donation came during increased pressure on crypto developers. The DeFi Education Fund last month petitioned the Trump administration to intervene, deeming the DOJ’s move a “lawless prosecution.” Coinbase’s Fred Ehrsam, Paradigm’s Matt Huang, and Ethereum core dev Tim Beiko have signed off on the petition.
A Defining Moment for Crypto Development
With Storm’s trial imminent, the Ethereum Foundation’s $1.25 million wager puts the stakes into perspective. It’s not just one developer in a courtroom—it’s the ethos of permissionless innovation and decentralization.
Whether the courts align with the U.S. government’s regulatory agenda or with the crypto community’s struggle for open-source freedom is a water-shed issue in the future of Web3.
