The Department of Justice announced plans to prosecute Roman Storm, co-founder of Ethereum mixer Tornado Cash, for charges including money laundering and sanctions evasion. Storm's trial is set to take place in less than two months in a Manhattan court. The DOJ will drop one charge related to operating an unlicensed money transmitter business, conflicting with guidance from FinCEN. Industry experts argue that non-custodial entities like Tornado Cash should not be held to criminal standards. The DOJ's decision to pursue charges against Storm comes after a memo indicating a shift in approach towards mixing services. Privacy advocates view services like Tornado Cash as tools for maintaining on-chain privacy. Despite arguments that his work is protected as free speech, Storm's case will proceed to trial. The U.S. Treasury recently removed Tornado Cash from its sanctions list, following a court ruling that the agency had exceeded its authority. Another Tornado Cash developer previously sentenced for money laundering was released pending an appeal. Read more AI-generated news on: https://app.chaingpt.org/news