🚨 Tornado Cash Co-Founder Found Guilty, But Jury Fails to Convict on Key Charges

Roman Storm, co-founder of the crypto privacy protocol Tornado Cash, has been found guilty of running an unlicensed money-transmitting business. However, the jury couldn’t reach a decision on the more serious charges of money laundering and violating U.S. sanctions. This split verdict has left the crypto world buzzing with reactions and uncertainty.

The case has become a major flashpoint in the debate over privacy in decentralized finance. Prosecutors accused Tornado Cash of helping move billions in illicit funds, including those linked to North Korean hacking groups. Storm, who built the open-source tool, now faces up to five years in prison. His sentencing date hasn’t been set yet, but the possibility of a retrial on the unresolved charges still hangs in the air.

This decision could reshape how privacy-focused protocols are viewed in the eyes of the law. For developers, this is a sharp reminder that building decentralized tools doesn’t automatically protect them from legal consequences. The industry is watching closely, as this verdict may influence how future privacy protocols are built, launched, and regulated.

Tornado Cash has always been controversial. To many, it represented freedom and financial privacy. To regulators, it looked like a black hole for dirty money. With the jury’s mixed decision, one thing is clear: the legal spotlight on DeFi is only getting brighter.