Catenaa. Monday, March 24, 2025-A developer has ported Tornado Cash-the crypto protocol known for privatizing on-chain transactions-to MegaETH testnet after the US Treasury removed sanctions on the crypto-mixing protocol.
Gunboats, the developer, deployed the contract named ETHTornado, citing its ease of implementation.
MegaETH’s blockchain supports 20,000 transactions per second, enhancing private transactions. Some users raised concerns over wallet “dusting,” while MegaETH’s team welcomed the development.
However, Gunboats downplayed legal risks and expressed support for Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm, who faces legal action.
The Treasury Department delisted Tornado Cash and several associated digital wallet addresses from the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, according to a Friday release.
The move follows an appeals court ruling that found the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) exceeded its authority by sanctioning Tornado Cash in November 2024.
A US District Court in Texas subsequently ordered the sanctions to be reversed in January 2025.
OFAC originally sanctioned Tornado Cash in August 2022, claiming North Korean-linked hackers, particularly the Lazarus Group, laundered stolen cryptocurrency through the platform.
The US government, alongside Japan and South Korea, has accused North Korea of using illicit crypto funds to support its weapons programs.
