US EditionTornado Cash Sold Crypto “Privacy”; the US Saw “Money laundering.” A Jury Isn’t Sure What to Think.
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, AUG 6 – The founder was convicted of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business while the jury deadlocked on conspiracy to launder over $1 billion and sanctions evasion charges, DOJ said.
- On August 6, 2025, a jury in a New York federal court convicted Roman Storm of a charge related to running a money transmitting service without the required license.
- The charges stemmed from 2023 DOJ allegations that Storm's Tornado Cash anonymizing tool helped launder over $1 billion, including funds tied to the North Korean Lazarus Group.
- The jury acquitted Storm on sanctions evasion charges but deadlocked on money laundering counts, while his defense argued the software’s primary purpose was privacy, not aiding criminals.
- Prosecutor Benjamin Gianforti said Storm ignored warnings that Tornado Cash was used by criminals from 2020 to 2022, calling the privacy focus a "cover story," while defense attorney David Patton stressed no illegality in the software.
- Storm faces up to five years in prison and sentencing by Judge Katherine Failla, and the verdict sets a precedent potentially increasing scrutiny on decentralized privacy tools under existing financial regulations.
45 Articles
45 Articles
Tornado Cash Co-founder Roman Storm Found Guilty on One Count
Roman Storm, co-founder of crypto mixer Tornado Cash, has been found guilty by a U.S. jury on a single count of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The jury remained deadlocked on two more serious charges: conspiracy to commit money laundering, including laundering funds for North Korea’s Lazarus Group, and conspiracy to evade U.S. sanctions. While those two charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison each…
Tornado Cash founder convicted over crypto tool tied to North Korean hackers
A U.S. court convicted the co-founder of a cryptocurrency mixer linked to North Korean cybercriminals for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business on Wednesday, but failed to reach a verdict on charges of money laundering and sanctions evasion. In a press release, the Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern […]
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
