Vitalik Buterin supports Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm amid mounting legal pressure

2026-01-10 03:58:23

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Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently posted a letter supporting Roman Storm, the Tornado Cash developer, who is facing a maximum of 5 years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to launder illegal funds in August. Storm was released on bail after the court determined there was no risk of flight.

Buterin emphasized that the case targets software development activities rather than direct financial harm, and considers security tools like Tornado Cash essential for protecting personal data. He stated that he has used Storm’s software to purchase technical tools and support human rights organizations without being recorded in company or government databases.

Support for Storm is not just words. Buterin contributed 50 ETH (~170,000 USD) to Storm’s legal fund in December 2024. The Ethereum Foundation donated $500,000 and pledged an additional $750,000 from the community. In 2025, the total legal defense fund for Tornado Cash developers exceeded $6.3 million.

The support for Storm comes amid increasing legal pressure on security tools. Tornado Cash co-founder Alexey Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in Dutch court in 2024. In the US, two founders of Samourai Wallet were also sentenced to 4–5 years for laundering over $2 billion in illegal funds.

Advocacy groups are pushing for protections for developers. In August 2025, more than 110 crypto organizations sent a letter to the US Senate demanding clear protections for software developers. President Donald Trump also expressed the possibility of reviewing these cases.

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