Source: Cointelegraph
Original: “Crypto Group Asks Trump to End Prosecution of Crypto Developer Roman Storm”
The crypto lobbying group DeFi Education Fund has petitioned the Trump administration to end what it calls a "disorderly prosecution" involving open-source software developers, including Roman Storm, the founder of the Tornado Cash crypto mixing service.
In a letter to David Sacks, the White House's crypto affairs lead, dated April 28, the group urged President Trump to "take immediate action to stop the disorderly crackdown on open-source software development by the Biden-era Department of Justice."
The letter specifically mentions Storm's prosecution, as he was charged in August 2023 with helping to launder over $1 billion through Tornado Cash. Storm's trial is still set for July, while his co-founder Roman Semenov is currently at large, believed to be in Russia.
The DeFi Education Fund stated that in Storm's case, the Department of Justice is attempting to hold software developers criminally liable for the actions of others using their code, which "is not only absurd in principle but also sets a precedent that could expose all crypto developers in the U.S. to potential crackdowns."
The group also called for recognition that this prosecution contradicts the guidelines set by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) during Trump's first term, which clearly stated that developers of self-hosted, peer-to-peer protocols are not considered money transmitters.
The group noted in the letter: "This legal environment not only stifles innovation—it freezes innovation." The letter further added that this environment "fosters politically motivated enforcement and puts every open-source developer at risk, regardless of their industry."
In January of this year, a federal court in Texas ruled that the Treasury Department overstepped its authority in sanctioning Tornado Cash.
The group expressed gratitude for Trump's support of the crypto industry and his goal of making the U.S. the "global crypto capital."
However, they emphasized that this goal cannot be achieved if developers are prosecuted for building tools that promote technological advancement.
"We ask President Trump to protect American software developers, restore legal clarity, and end this unlawful overreach by the Department of Justice. The work is not done, and the risks are evident."
Jake Chervinsky, Chief Legal Officer of Variant Fund, stated that the Department of Justice's case against Storm is an "outdated remnant of the Biden administration's war on crypto."
He added, "There is no legal or policy justification for prosecuting software developers for launching non-custodial smart contract protocols."
As of now, the petition has garnered signatures from 232 industry executives and developers, including Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang, and Ethereum core developer Tim Beiko.
Related: U.S. Senators Call for Investigation into Trump's Cryptocurrency Interests
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