Roman Storm, co-founder of the crypto mixing platform Tornado Cash, has issued an urgent call for financial support, seeking $500,000 ahead of his trial on Monday, where he faces charges of money laundering and violating U.S. sanctions.
In a post on X this Saturday, Storm revealed a “critical shortfall” in funding, stating he must raise $500,000 within days and an additional $1 million in the coming weeks to sustain his legal defense.
“My team is working around the clock to defend code as free speech, protect software development, and push back against government overreach that threatens us all,” he wrote.
In May, Free Pertsev & Storm — a legal defense fund established to support the Tornado Cash founders — estimated that Roman Storm’s legal battle would cost around $2 million. However, Storm revealed on Friday that the projected expenses have surged to $3.5 million, as his trial could now last up to four weeks — twice the originally expected duration — due to “complex legal arguments and unforeseen witnesses and evidence.”
Storm was arrested in August 2023 on charges including money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business, and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions. If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in prison.
Storm’s legal team sought a delay in the trial on Friday, citing a missed disclosure deadline by prosecutors who introduced a new witness after the cutoff. However, Judge Katherine Failla, who is presiding over the case, denied the request.
Judge Failla also ruled that any mention of the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions against Tornado Cash — which were lifted in March — would be excluded from the proceedings.
Meanwhile, in April, the DeFi Education Fund, a crypto advocacy group, urged the Trump administration to halt what it called the “lawless prosecution” of open-source software developers, including Roman Storm.
Tornado Cash Trial Fund Reaches 57% of Goal
Roman Storm is working to raise a total of $3.5 million for his legal defense. As of now, he has secured approximately $1.96 million—around 57% of the target.
Because donations are made in Ether (ETH), the total amount raised may fluctuate with the market. Currently, ETH is trading at $3,030, up 2.9% over the past 24 hours, according to Nansen.
Last month, the Ethereum Foundation pledged $500,000 to Storm’s defense and committed to matching community contributions up to an additional $750,000.
MetaCartel’s Bill Warren also revealed that the MetaCartel DAO has contributed the remaining funds from its treasury to support Storm’s legal battle.
