Vitalik Buterin Reaffirms Support for Roman Storm, Highlights Privacy Importance

Vitalik Buterin, Co-founder of Ethereum, Reaffirms Support for Tornado Cash Developer Roman Storm

In a recent social media post, Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of the Ethereum blockchain, has reiterated his support for Roman Storm, the developer behind Tornado Cash. He emphasized the importance of protecting privacy from both the public and authorities, stating that he has utilized Tornado Cash to execute transactions that uphold these principles. He asserted that developing software for privacy usage is not a crime, declaring: "I have personally used Roman's software to conduct transactions — to purchase software for personal use, without my name ending up in corporate databases, to support charitable organizations that protect valuable human rights and other purposes."

Roman Storm was indicted in August 2023 for operating an unlicensed money transmission business and was found guilty of the initial charge. However, jurors have yet to reach a decision on two other charges. It remains uncertain if U.S. prosecutors will resume proceedings against Storm for the additional charges or when he will be sentenced for his activities. Additionally, a coalition of cryptocurrency companies and organizations has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene and ask the Department of Justice to dismiss all ongoing charges against Storm.