Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm issued an urgent plea for $1.5 million in donations to cover escalating legal costs as his landmark criminal trial enters its final phase in Manhattan federal court. In a July 26 social media post, Storm emphasized: "We’re running out of time — legal costs are piling up fast, and we urgently need your help. Every bit counts", directing supporters to his freeromanstorm.com defense fund.
Storm has raised $3.2 million toward a revised $5 million goal, including a $750,000 contribution from the Ethereum Foundation. The trial, originally scheduled for two weeks, extended into its third week under Judge Katherine Polk Failla, with closing arguments imminent and a verdict expected around August 11. Federal prosecutors allege Storm laundered over $1 billion through Tornado Cash, including hundreds of millions for North Korea's Lazarus Group, leading to charges of money laundering conspiracy, sanctions violations, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business—carrying a maximum 45-year sentence.
Storm's defense argues Tornado Cash was a non-custodial, decentralized protocol, asserting the case criminalizes open-source development and violates First Amendment rights. The outcome could establish critical precedent for developer liability in decentralized finance.