The post Tornado Cash Developer Says DOJ Is Blocking Fair Trial appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
Roman Storm, the co-founder of Tornado Cash, is facing major hurdles ahead of his July 14 trial. Storm says that the U.S. Department of Justice is making it hard for him to defend himself in court. He had called six expert witnesses to support his defense, but the DOJ rejected five entirely and placed strict limits on the sixth, blockchain expert Matthew Edman.
The case began after the U.S. sanctioned Tornado Cash in 2023, accusing it of helping North Korean hackers. But Storm denies the claims. The focus is now on whether he can get a fair trial without enough expert witnesses.
I’m Roman Storm. I poured my soul into Tornado Cash—software that’s non-custodial, trustless, permissionless, immutable, unstoppable. In 31 days, I face trial. The DOJ wants to bury DeFi, saying I should’ve controlled it, added KYC, never built it. SDNY is trying to crush…
— Roman Storm
(@rstormsf) June 13, 2025
DOJ Denies 5 of 6 Proposed Experts
The DOJ has pushed back hard, saying that most expert witnesses were not relevant to the core issue – his alleged role in violating international sanctions. It also criticized how the witnesses were selected and the methods they used. They argued that their testimony on topics like digital privacy, blockchain tech, tokenomics, and KYC rules was irrelevant to the case.
“There are multiple deficiencies in the proposed testimony, including that they are inappropriate subjects for expert testimony, lack a reliable methodology or basis in facts and data, or are irrelevant, unfairly prejudicial, and confusing to the jury.”
Community Support Grows
Although Tornado Cash has been removed from the US Treasury’s sanctions list, Storm is still under pressure. But the support is growing for him. Many have donated to his legal fund, which he had called for several times during the case. The Ethereum Foundation pledged $500K from its treasury and raised $750K from the wider crypto community to help fund his legal defense.
But without expert witnesses, he may face major challenges in the court.
Defense Team Requests More Time
Storm’s legal team has requested a two-day extension to respond to the DOJ’s motion to block their expert witnesses. They say it won’t delay the case, but the DOJ is still opposing the request, even though it had asked for the same extension if needed.
Storm still faces several charges for his role in running Tornado Cash. While the DOJ dropped charges related to operating an unlicensed money transmitter last month, it is continuing to pursue other charges, including money laundering.
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FAQs
Yes, Tornado Cash’s smart contracts remain operational as it’s decentralized. The U.S. Treasury officially lifted sanctions on Tornado Cash itself in March 2025, following a court ruling.
Tornado Cash’s controversy stems from its use by malicious actors, including North Korean hackers, to launder illicit funds, leading to U.S. sanctions and legal action against its co-founders for alleged money laundering.
While money transmitter charges were dropped, Roman Storm still faces charges including money laundering related to his role in operating Tornado Cash.
