Vitalik Buterin defends Tornado Cash creator and criticizes criminalization of code

Source: PortaldoBitcoin Original Title: Vitalik Buterin defends Tornado Cash creator and criticizes criminalization of code Original Link: Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, published a letter supporting Roman Storm, developer of Tornado Cash, who was convicted in the United States for conspiracy to transfer money and is now awaiting sentencing.

In Buterin’s view, the case sets a dangerous precedent by treating software development as a crime, paving the way for the criminalization of code itself, rather than direct financial harm.

Storm was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in August 2023 and, despite remaining free on bail after a court decision that mitigated the risk of flight, he could face up to five years in prison. In August of last year, a jury found him guilty of money transfer charges but did not reach a verdict on additional charges of money laundering and sanctions violations.

American authorities claim that Tornado Cash was used to launder over US$1 billion in illicit funds, although the protocol operates in a non-custodial manner, without direct control by developers over user resources.

In the letter, Buterin argues that the charges focus on writing and maintaining open-source code, not on criminal conduct committed by Storm. He described privacy tools like Tornado Cash as a necessary defense against systemic data exploitation in the contemporary digital environment and stated that he used the software for legitimate purposes, such as purchasing technical tools and supporting human rights organizations, without these transactions being recorded in corporate or government databases.

“I have supported Roman Storm’s work from the beginning, both because I firmly believe in the importance of privacy and because I am an active user of privacy tools, including those developed by Roman,” he wrote.

For Buterin, the fact that Storm’s applications remain functional years after he ceased development demonstrates a level of integrity rare in the consumer technology sector.

The right to privacy in the crypto world

Ethereum founder’s stance places the case within a broader debate about privacy as a fundamental infrastructure of digital society, rather than a marginal political cause.

Buterin stated that control over personal information was a standard condition in previous decades and that modern privacy tools aim to preserve safeguards that historically existed in communications, physical movements, and financial activities, prior to the widespread establishment of digital surveillance systems.

Buterin’s support was not limited to public statements. In December 2024, he donated 50 ETH to Storm’s legal defense fund, an amount equivalent to about US$170,000 at the time.

The Ethereum Foundation also took a stance, contributing US$500,000 in June last year and pledging to match other community donations, raising the total to US$750,000. In October 2025, the foundation and Keyring launched a legal fund specifically dedicated to defending Tornado Cash developers.

Only in 2025, Storm’s defense fund raised over US$6.39 million. Researchers and individual investors also contributed, such as Federico Carrone, who declared he donated US$500,000 to the defense, in addition to an earlier contribution of US$50,000 made through his investment studio LambdaClass. The Solana Policy Institute announced in August 2025 a donation of US$500,000 to support both Storm and Alexey Pertsev, another Tornado Cash co-founder.

Closing the net

Storm’s case occurs amid a global crackdown on privacy tool developers. In the US, the co-founders of Samourai Wallet were arrested in April 2024 on charges that the mixer processed over US$2 billion in illicit funds over nearly a decade. In November 2025, Keonne Rodriguez was sentenced to five years in prison, while William Lonergan Hill received a four-year sentence.

Alongside legal actions, industry advocacy groups intensified pressure for legal safeguards. In August 2025, more than 110 crypto sector entities sent a letter to the US Senate stating they would not support key legislation on market structure without explicit protections for software developers.

The movement gained momentum after statements from Department of Justice officials that “writing code” should not be treated as a crime. In this context, US President Donald Trump said he would review the cases when asked about the possibility of pardoning convicted developers, signaling that the debate over privacy, open source, and criminal responsibility could take on new political dimensions in the coming months.