In a landmark case, the first U.S. criminal trial concerning crypto privacy tools concluded with a mixed verdict. Roman Storm was found guilty of running an unlicensed money-transmitting business, while the jury remained deadlocked on more severe charges of money laundering and sanctions violations. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton commended the prosecution for their efforts. Storm faced accusations from the DOJ of facilitating North Korea’s Lazarus Group in laundering over $1 billion through Tornado Cash, but the jury did not accept this narrative entirely. He is now awaiting sentencing for the guilty charge, with Judge Failla allowing him to remain free pending further legal battles. This case marks a significant moment in crypto law, as it is the first conviction of a developer for merely creating privacy-enhancing code. While the ruling sends a cautionary message to open-source developers, it also leaves room for hope, as potential retrials and appeals could reshape the legal landscape for crypto development in the U.S. Read more AI-generated news on: https://app.chaingpt.org/news