Tornado Cash Co-founder Roman Storm Found Guilty on One Charge After Jury Deadlock

A Manhattan federal jury has found Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, marking a significant development in the high-profile cryptocurrency case. The Wednesday verdict in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York represents a partial victory for prosecutors, who had sought convictions on multiple charges related to Storm's role in developing the controversial crypto mixing service.

The jury reached a unanimous decision on only one of three felony charges after four days of deliberations. While Storm was convicted on the unlicensed money business conspiracy charge, which carries a maximum five-year prison sentence, jurors deadlocked on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate North Korea sanctions. The partial verdict came after the judge issued special instructions urging the jury to reach unanimous decisions on all counts.

Prosecutors built their case around testimony from FBI agents, IRS officials, and cybersecurity experts who argued that Storm had the technical capability to modify Tornado Cash's code to prevent criminal use but deliberately chose not to implement such safeguards. The defense countered with expert witnesses including Ethereum core developer Preston Van Loon and cybersecurity specialist Matthew Edman, who challenged the prosecution's technical claims about Storm's control over the decentralized protocol.

Storm, who was indicted in August 2023 and has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, received substantial community support including over $3 million in legal defense contributions from prominent figures like Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation. The case has attracted significant industry attention, with venture capital firm Paradigm filing an amicus brief arguing that Storm's prosecution threatens innovation across cryptocurrency and broader technology sectors. His sentencing date has not yet been scheduled, and the case continues to draw attention as a landmark prosecution in the intersection of cryptocurrency development and financial crime enforcement.