In a bold move to defend crypto innovation, the DeFi Education Fund has sent a powerful message to the Trump camp, urging them to put an end to what they call a “lawless prosecution” against open-source developers — with Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm at the center of the battle.
The April 28 letter, addressed to White House crypto advisor David Sacks, slams the Biden-era Department of Justice for criminalizing software creation. The group called on President Trump to “immediately halt” the charges against Storm, who faces trial in July for allegedly helping launder over $1 billion through the crypto mixer.
But here's the twist: the case isn't just about Storm. It’s about every open-source developer who now faces the risk of being targeted simply for building tools that others might misuse.
“This is not just absurd — it’s dangerous,” the letter states. “It threatens to freeze crypto development in its tracks and leaves innovation at the mercy of politically motivated enforcement.”
The DeFi Education Fund also pointed out that this prosecution contradicts guidance from FinCEN during Trump’s previous term, which made clear that developers of peer-to-peer, self-custodial platforms are not money transmitters.
The stakes? Huge.
“This kind of legal overreach doesn’t just chill innovation — it freezes it,” the group argued, warning that the U.S. risks losing its competitive edge if builders are punished for the tools they create.
Trump, who has recently voiced strong support for making America the "crypto capital of the planet," is being asked to match words with action.
As of now, the petition has racked up over 230 signatures from heavy hitters like Coinbase’s Fred Ehrsam, Paradigm’s Matt Huang, and Ethereum developer Tim Beiko.
Crypto legal experts are calling the case outdated — a leftover from a time when Washington was hostile to blockchain innovation.
The message is clear: Protect the builders, or risk breaking the future.