DeFi Advocacy Group Urges Trump to Halt Prosecution of Tornado Cash Developer

In a letter addressed to Trump’s crypto adviser, David Sacks, the organization urged the Republican front-runner to end the Biden-era DOJ’s efforts to criminalize the development of decentralized technologies.

Storm was indicted in August 2023 over allegations of laundering more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency through Tornado Cash, a non-custodial protocol designed to preserve transaction privacy. His trial is scheduled for July, while his co-founder, Roman Semenov, remains a fugitive, reportedly residing in Russia.

The DeFi Education Fund contends that holding software developers liable for how others use their code sets a dangerous precedent.

“not only absurd in principle, but it sets a precedent that potentially chills all crypto development in the United States,”

the group warned.

The petition also referenced earlier guidance from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) under the Trump administration, which clarified that creators of self-custodial, peer-to-peer protocols should not be classified as money transmitters. The current DOJ stance, the group argues, contradicts that guidance and stifles innovation in the U.S.

In January, a Texas federal judge ruled that the Treasury Department exceeded its authority in sanctioning Tornado Cash, highlighting government overreach. The DeFi Education Fund used this ruling to argue for better protection of American software developers and call on President Trump to restore legal clarity and end DOJ overreach. The petition has gained support, with 232 signatories, including notable figures like Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam and Ethereum developer Tim Beiko.

Jake Chervinsky, chief legal officer at Variant Fund, echoed the sentiment, calling the DOJ’s case against Storm “an outdated remnant of the Biden administration’s war on crypto.”

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