In a rapidly developing case, three cryptocurrency advocacy groups have filed amicus briefs in support of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, who has been indicted for his role in the creation and operation of the prominent crypto mixer platform. Storm, who has since been apprehended by US authorities, had earlier filed for a motion to dismiss the charges against him, describing them as “fatally flawed.”
The US citizen, who is one of the three Tornado Cash developers, faces three charges from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) alongside Russian counterpart Roman Semenov who is currently on the loose. Meanwhile, Alexey Pertsev, the last Tornado Cash co-founder, is also undergoing trial in the Netherlands for similar reasons, with a court ruling expected on May 14.
Blockchain Association, Others Back Storm’s Dismissal Case
In solidarity with Tornado Cash developers, the Blockchain Association, Coin Center, and DeFi Education Fund each submitted an individual amicus brief on April 5, supporting Roman’s Storm motion to dismiss charges levied by the DOJ.
All three advocacy groups generally criticized the indictment by the US government, however, with a separate focus on different charges. For instance, the Blockchain Association argued against the charge of conspiracy to operate as an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
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