According to Cointelegraph: The Blockchain Association has reinforced its backing for six plaintiffs challenging the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control's (OFAC's) sanctions on cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash.
In a legal brief submitted to a U.S. appellate court on November 20, the crypto advocacy group contended that OFAC's decision to impose sanctions on the privacy protocol was not only illicit but exceeded its statutory authority and was arbitrary and capricious, contravening the U.S. Constitution.
This represents the second amicus brief lodged by the Blockchain Association to support Tornado Cash users contesting the lower court's decision, which had upheld OFAC's imposition of sanctions on the cryptocurrency mixer.
Marisa Coppel, the Blockchain Association's senior counsel, emphasized on November 20 that rather than indiscriminately proscribing tools which it has no authority over, OFAC should concentrate its efforts on sanctioning malicious actors. She suggested that OFAC's action established a dangerous new precedent that severely violates their authority and puts at risk the law-abiding American citizens' right to privacy.
The Blockchain Association proposed in its brief that OFAC should remain within the law by requesting Congress to give the green light on banning crypto mixers, such as Tornado Cash. The Blockchain Association has consistently argued that Tornado Cash has no owner or operator and that it runs independently without the need for human interaction or support.
Tornado Cash first faced sanctions from OFAC in August 2022. OFAC claimed that since 2019, parties have used the mixer to launder more than $7 billion in cryptocurrencies, which includes the $455 million looted by the North-Korean-affiliated Lazarus Group.
