The Code Is Law, But Apparently Also Criminal

Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash, was found guilty by a Manhattan jury of running an unlicensed money transmission business, while jurors could not reach a verdict on the money laundering and sanctions charges. The article argues that prosecuting a developer over how people use privacy software sets a worrying precedent for open-source development. It cites the government's claim that bad actors, including North Korean hackers, used Tornado Cash to launder over $1 billion, a figure later revised to $660.5M, and notes that the Ethereum Foundation has pledged up to $500,000 toward Storm's legal defense.