Ethereum Foundation to Match $500K in Donations for Roman Storm’s Legal Defense

The Ethereum Foundation has pledged to match up to $500,000 in public donations to support the legal defense of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm, who was recently found guilty of operating an unlicensed money transmitter in the United States.

Announcing the initiative on X (formerly Twitter), Ethereum’s official account stated, “Privacy is normal, and writing code is not a crime.” Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also reshared the post, signaling strong support from the project’s leadership.

Mistrial in Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm’s money laundering case

A jury could not agree on whether Storm helped launder more than $1B in dirty crypto, including for North Korea. They convicted on one lesser count.

Business InsiderLaura Italiano

Storm’s conviction came earlier this week after a New York jury reached a partial verdict, finding him guilty of one charge while failing to reach a decision on allegations of money laundering and U.S. sanctions violations. His legal team has confirmed plans to appeal.

The case stems from a 2023 indictment accusing Storm of conspiring to facilitate more than $1 billion in illicit transactions through Tornado Cash, including millions allegedly laundered for North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Storm has maintained his innocence, arguing that Tornado Cash is a decentralized, noncustodial protocol and that its creators cannot be held liable for how third parties use the code.

According to Free Pertsev & Storm, the legal aid group backing both co-founders, Storm faces up to five years in prison if his appeal fails — and potentially decades if prosecutors retry the unresolved charges.

“We will need these funds and more to continue the fight for Roman at the trial court and on appeal,” the group said, warning that the case could set a global precedent for software developers building privacy-focused tools.

Crypto and blockchain advocates have rallied behind Storm, with the DeFi Education Fund stating:

“We are disappointed that the jury did not recognize that Storm should not be responsible for the actions of third parties he could not control. We fervently believe software developers deserve the freedom to build decentralized financial tools and infrastructure, including privacy-preserving technology.”

With the Ethereum Foundation’s matching pledge, supporters aim to raise at least $1 million to cover the costs of Storm’s legal battle — a fight many in the crypto space see as pivotal for the future of open-source development.