🚨 Is Writing Code Now a Crime? The Shocking Verdict That Could Shake Crypto to Its Core 🚨
⚖️ Roman Storm Found Guilty — Just for Publishing Code?
Tornado Cash Developer Convicted Under U.S. Money Transmission Law
Roman Storm, co-founder of privacy protocol Tornado Cash, was convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 1960 for allegedly acting as a money transmitter — even though he never handled users' funds. Prosecutors claimed that publishing smart contracts equals money transmission. Ethereum developer Preston van Loon called it -a dark day for crypto and Roman Storm.
🧑💻 From Developer to Criminal?
Legal Experts Warn of Dangerous Precedent.
The case contradicts FinCEN’s 2019 guidance, which clearly exempts noncustodial software from regulation. Critics say the verdict weaponizes outdated laws against neutral code and turns developers into criminals. Even more concerning: SDNY (Southern District of New York) claims global reach — meaning if someone in Manhattan uses your code, you could be prosecuted.
💸 Big Banks Walk, Devs Get Jail?
Double Standards in Financial Enforcement
Storm faces up to 5 years in prison, while global banks like Goldman Sachs walked away from billion-dollar scandals like 1MDB with fines and no executive jail time. Legal observers call this hypocritical — punishing open-source developers while shielding financial giants.
🛡️ Can Reform Save DeFi?
New Laws and Appeals Offer a Way Forward
The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act (BRCA), part of the CLARITY Act, aims to protect noncustodial developers from prosecution. While it won’t help Storm retroactively, it could prevent future injustices. SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce defends the right to privacy and warns against criminalizing disintermediation — the very principle DeFi is built on.
Storm plans to appeal, and civil lawsuits are underway. But until the law is clarified, publishing privacy-focused crypto tools in the U.S. carries real legal risks.
👨⚖️ Will Congress act in time — or will devs be punished for writing code?
