Tornado Cash founder "Open-source developers are not protected"
Summary
- Roman Storm warned that open-source developers are exposed to legal risks.
- He said U.S. law does not clearly protect open-source developers, and there is a possibility of retroactive prosecutions.
- The ruling highlighted the issue of judicial risk across the crypto industry.
Roman Storm, co-developer of the decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Tornado Cash, warned of Department of Justice prosecutions of open-source developers.
According to Cointelegraph on the 19th (local time), Storm said, "Open-source developers could be at the same risk as me," asking, "Can you be sure the U.S. Department of Justice will not consider you a money services business (MSB) and prosecute you?" He added, "Current U.S. law does not clearly protect open-source developers, and there is a possibility of retroactive prosecutions."
In August, Roman Storm was found guilty by a jury on one of three charges, the 'conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business.' The remaining money laundering and sanctions-violation charges ended without a verdict due to a jury deadlock.
The ruling raised new judicial risks for open-source developers and shocked the broader crypto industry.
Jake Chervinsky, general counsel at Variant Fund, said, "If the Trump administration wants to make the U.S. a 'crypto hub,' the Department of Justice should not attempt a retrial on the two charges the jury failed to agree on."
Son Min
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