A core developer from the Ethereum Foundation testified in support of Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash. The U.S. government has now ended its case in one of crypto’s most closely watched legal battles.
The update comes from Chain Retrieval, a blockchain intelligence firm that has tracked the Roman Storm trial closely. According to their report, the developer’s testimony could play a crucial role in challenging the government’s narrative.
Storm faces several charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and violating sanctions laws. Prosecutors allege that he enabled criminals — including North Korea’s Lazarus Group — to launder over $1 billion through Tornado Cash. The platform is a crypto privacy tool.
Chain Retrieval Highlights Key Turning Point in Trial
Chain Retrieval’s report outlines how the defense has shifted the trial’s focus. They are moving it from criminal intent to open-source code and decentralization.
The Ethereum developer who testified this week said Tornado Cash was built as a privacy-preserving protocol, not a criminal instrument. He explained that once the smart contracts went live on Ethereum, they became immutable and autonomous. No one, including Storm, could alter or control them.
This testimony supports the defense’s position. They argue that Storm acted as a developer, not a facilitator of crime. According to them, Tornado Cash should be seen as a neutral tool, like email or the internet.
Prosecutors counter with a different narrative. They claim Storm and his co-founders promoted and updated the protocol even after learning hackers and sanctioned entities were using it. They cite developer logs, GitHub activity, and internal communications to show Storm’s involvement beyond simply writing code.
With the government resting its case, the defense plans to call more blockchain experts, developers, and legal scholars. Their goal is to prove that Storm’s work was lawful and intended to protect privacy, not aid criminals.
Crypto Community Watches as Legal Precedent Takes Shape
Chain Retrieval notes that the trial could set a major legal precedent for how U.S. courts treat decentralized protocols and open-source projects.
A conviction could expand liability for developers whose tools are misused by others. An acquittal could strengthen legal protections for software builders in the decentralized space.
Roman Storm has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He remains out on bond while the trial continues in federal court. The judge expects to deliver a verdict in the coming weeks. Both sides are preparing for a ruling that could shape the future of crypto privacy and developer responsibility.