Roman Storm, one half of the duo behind Tornado Cash crypto mixer, has found himself in the spin cycle of the U.S. justice system. With a trial looming this Monday on charges of money laundering and sanctions violations, Storm has taken to X to announce a fundraising campaign to cover his defense fees.
Dear Crypto Community & Privacy Advocates,
— Roman Storm 🇺🇸 🌪️ (@rstormsf) July 12, 2025
This is an urgent call: My trial begins July 14, and we’re facing a critical shortfall. I need to raise $500K in the next few days and $1.5M within a couple of weeks to sustain our fight - covering escalating legal fees, expert… https://t.co/AImotqvJVD
In his post, Storm noted a “critical shortfall,” and said he needed $500,000 now, and another cool million in the coming weeks, presumably to afford the escalating legal fees.
He stated,
“My team is working nonstop to defend code as free speech, protect software development, and push back against government overreach that threatens us all.”
In May, Free Pertsev & Storm, a group formed to provide legal aid to the Tornado Cash founders, estimated that Roman Storm’s trial would cost $2 million. That figure was based on the assumption that the proceedings would last two weeks and follow a straightforward path.
On Friday, Storm said the legal fees are now expected to reach $3.5 million. The trial may last four weeks instead of two, due to additional legal arguments, unexpected witnesses, and new evidence. The meter is still running.
Storm was arrested in August 2023 on charges of money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitter, and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions. If found guilty, he faces up to 45 years in prison.
On Friday, Storm’s legal team asked to delay the trial, arguing that prosecutors introduced a witness after the official deadline had passed.
In a courtroom, that’s a bit like trying to add a new player after the game has started, technically possible, but bound to spark objections.
The judge presiding over Roman Storm’s case, Katherine Failla, ruled that any mention of the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions against Tornado Cash—withdrawn in March—would be left at the courtroom door.
In April, the DeFi Education Fund asked the Trump administration to put a stop to what it called the “lawless prosecution” of open-source developers like Storm. Last month, the Ethereum Foundation pledged $500,000 to Storm’s defense. Perhaps it’s thanks to karma, Ethereum’s price now hovers past $3,000.
eth 3k pic.twitter.com/cvXhHO38UG
— naiive (@naiivememe) July 13, 2025
57% of the goal raised for the Tornado Cash trial
The co-founder’s goal is to raise $3.5 million for his legal defense and has since secured $1.96 million, which is approximately 57% of the target.
MetaCartel’s Bill Warren added that the Ethereum DAO, which promised to match community donations up to $750,000, has emptied its treasury in support of Storm, marking one of the rare moments when a DAO spent all its funds and no one argued on Discord.
Abimbola Adu
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