Catenaa, Saturday, June 21, 2025- Crypto venture capital firm Paradigm has filed an amicus curiae brief supporting Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm.
It is arguing the government’s charges could set a dangerous precedent for software developers across the United States.
Storm, whose trial begins July 14, faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and sanctions violations related to Tornado Cash, an open-source cryptocurrency mixer sanctioned in 2022.
Paradigm said the case misinterprets US law by labeling Storm’s code as illegal money transmission.
In a blog post Tuesday, Paradigm’s legal team stated the Treasury Department’s own guidance affirms that developers who merely publish software are not money transmitters. The firm warned that convicting Storm under current charges could jeopardize the broader right to develop decentralized financial tools.
Storm is raising $2 million for his legal defense. The Ethereum Foundation pledged $500,000 in support. In an emotional statement Friday, Storm wrote that if he loses the case, the future of DeFi could collapse alongside him.
Prosecutors recently dropped one charge related to unlicensed transmission, but continue to pursue conspiracy and laundering counts. Tornado Cash’s 2022 sanctions were lifted in March 2025.
