Jurors have begun deliberating over Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm’s guilt or innocence, as both parties made their closing arguments. This critical case could have serious repercussions for crypto privacy.
The defense essentially argued that Storm’s commitment to privacy prevented him from taking aggressive measures against criminals using his software. Prosecutors contended that he indirectly profited from illicit use cases.
Tornado Cash Trial Recap
The trial of Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm has been ongoing for several weeks now, but it’s entering the final stretch.
The prosecution attempted to connect the tumbler to offshore hacking and remove the defense’s witnesses, but Storm’s lawyers took the initiative this week. Today, both sides submitted their closing arguments:
“When [Roman Storm] learned that the FBI knew [of his activities], here’s what he said: ‘guys, we’re fucking done for.’ He ran Tornado Cash as a money laundering business. He profited handsomely from it. It was like a laundry, mixing dirty money with clean.
The DOJ was very aggressive in its closing statements, repeatedly alleging that Tornado Cash was completely aware that international criminals used it for money laundering. Sure, the platform didn’t collect user data, request fees, or take custody of funds.
However, the DOJ pointed to several concrete examples where Storm and other executives played into this “rebel” image:
Look at his T-shirt. Can you imagine a better way to advertise a money laundering business than a T-shirt with a washing machine? They may say it is a joke. Nothing is funny about money laundering,” Gianforti added.
The defense, for its part, strenuously disputed this characterization, unsuccessfully asking for a mistrial. Earlier in the week, Storm’s attorneys asserted that the DOJ was discouraging Tornado Cash’s star witnesses.
Today, they argued that Storm and associates tried to create privacy software, not engage in conspiracy.
On several occasions, prosecutors alleged that Roman Storm could’ve done more to discourage illegal activity on Tornado Cash.
However, the defense claimed that privacy was the whole point of the service. Storm’s lawyers disputed the notion that he exhibited criminal intent by maintaining user-end encryption and pointed to several examples of him being alarmed at illegal activity.
“This software protocol was not illegal in itself. [Prosecutors] are saying, he could’ve done more, that he didn’t is proof of intent. But the point of Tornado Cash was privacy. He Googled something like ‘Is Tornado Cash Criminal?’ That’s not what a criminal Googles, ‘am I a criminal?'” claimed David Patton, Storm’s attorney.
To be clear, Patton acknowledged that TORN, Tornado Cash’s token, did bring monetary returns. Roman Storm aimed to financially benefit from the platform, due to the time and effort that developing it cost him.
Patton, however, claimed that wanting to make money isn’t illegal. He argued that the platform’s actual monetization pathways were legitimate.
Prosecutors finished by urging the jurors “not to take the bait,” and to find Storm guilty. Jurors have begun their deliberations and are expected to give a verdict sometime this week.
Disclaimer
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.
