Roman Storm, Tornado Cash developer, is calling on the community for financial support for his 1.5 million USD legal battle before the federal trial on 14/7/2025.
Storm faces charges of money laundering and sanctions violations, while receiving support from many individuals and organizations in the cryptocurrency field to protect the freedom to develop software and condemn excessive government interference.
MAIN CONTENT
Roman Storm needs to raise 1.5 million USD to cover legal and expert fees for the trial in July 2025.
The cryptocurrency community and organizations like Meta Cartel DAO and Golem Foundation provide strong financial support.
Storm's lawyer challenges the Telegram evidence provided by the government, questioning its validity and citing inaccuracies.
Who is Roman Storm and why is he calling for financial support?
Roman Storm is one of the developers of the Tornado Cash project, a famous cryptocurrency mixing software. Before the federal trial on 14/7/2025, he faces charges related to money laundering and violations of U.S. sanctions. Storm has publicly urged the community to donate 1.5 million USD to sustain the legal battle, including legal fees, hiring experts, and in-depth research.
In a post on social media X on 12/7/2025, Storm emphasized: "We need 500,000 USD in the next few days and a total of 1.5 million USD within a few weeks to continue fighting." He argues that the battle is not just about individuals but also about defending freedom of speech and software development in the cryptocurrency sector.
How is the cryptocurrency community and prominent figures reacting?
Storm's appeal has received positive responses from many leaders, organizations, and influencers in the cryptocurrency sector. Meta Cartel DAO donated all the funds from its treasury to support him. Julian Zawistowski, founder of Golem Foundation, donated 50 ETH and affirmed his commitment to values that protect privacy and decentralization.
If Roman Storm loses the lawsuit, Bitcoin miners could become the next target, threatening the development of the cryptocurrency industry.
Bill Fowler, Cryptocurrency Developer, 12/7/2025
An Ethereum developer also shared: "If we can find 500 million USD for pump activities in 12 minutes, the industry should raise a few million USD to support Roman Storm." The Ethereum Foundation has also committed to providing additional contributions over the weekend.
What are the reasons and implications of the lawsuit concerning the Telegram evidence?
Before the trial, Roman Storm's legal team filed a motion in the Southern District of New York court to dismiss the validity of some Telegram messages presented by the prosecution as evidence. According to the legal team, these messages were mishandled and could be misleading because they did not clearly identify the actual sender.
"The Telegram evidence extracted by the prosecutor is not transparent, and some messages are distorted in terms of authorship,"
Roman Storm's legal team, July 2025
Among them, a message allegedly related to the 600 million USD Axie Infinity hack is accused of being written by a CoinDesk journalist, but the government attributed it to Alexey Pertsev, a co-founder of Tornado Cash. The prosecutor apologized for the data formatting error and confirmed that the final evidence sent to the defense in December 2024 was verified to be Pertsev's.
How might the details about the Telegram evidence affect the trial?
The legal team argues that if the Telegram evidence is deemed unreliable, the charges related to money laundering through Tornado Cash could be significantly weakened. The prosecution is still trying to persuade the court to accept this evidence with the argument that at least one accomplice asked how to launder 600 million USD of stolen cryptocurrency.
What are the next steps for Storm and the cryptocurrency community?
Storm and the community are calling for donations to cover legal costs and maintain a legal defense against the U.S. government. Many organizations have shown strong support and issued warnings about the consequences if he loses the lawsuit, which could threaten the entire cryptocurrency development industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What charges is Roman Storm facing?
He has been indicted for money laundering and sanctions violations related to the Tornado Cash project.How has the cryptocurrency community helped Storm?
Organizations and individuals have contributed financially, such as Meta Cartel DAO and Golem Foundation, to support legal costs.How does the Telegram evidence impact the lawsuit?
The legal team argues that this evidence is unreliable and could weaken the government's charges.What does Storm want from this legal battle?
He wants to protect the freedom to develop software and resist excessive government interference in the cryptocurrency sector.When is the trial expected to take place?
The federal trial is scheduled to begin on 14/7/2025 in New York.
Source: https://tintucbitcoin.com/tornado-cash-keu-goi-500k-usd-gap/
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