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Crypto News

Ethereum Community Supports Tornado Cash Developer and Co-Founder, Calls for Trump’s Help

The cryptocurrency community is relieved when Trump pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. Now, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and others in the Ethereum community are urging the release of Ethereum developer Virgil Griffiths and Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm. As a result, the Ethereum community is now asking for Trump’s help on the matter.

Vitalik asks for Trump’s help

The Ethereum community is asking the US government to release Ethereum developer Virgil Griffiths, Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm, and developer Alexei Burtsev. These requests came shortly after Trump issued an executive order pardoning Ross Ulbricht, who was serving a life sentence without parole for founding and running the Silk Road.

Vitalik He said“No one left behind” He also requested the release of Alexei Burtsev, co-founder of Tornado Cash, and Roman Storm.

Shortly after President Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, who was serving a life sentence for running the illicit Silk Road market, the Ethereum community called for a similar pardon. Ulbricht’s pardon came after years of support from Bitcoin enthusiasts, given his role in creating a platform that traded in illegal goods.

Read also: A new era for Bitcoin in the USA? Trump is fulfilling his campaign promises on cryptocurrencies

Meanwhile, Ethereum developer Virgil Griffiths is serving a 56-month prison sentence after admitting to violating sanctions. In 2019, he was accused of traveling to North Korea to demonstrate ways blockchain technology could be used to circumvent sanctions.

Roman Storm, another major figure in the cryptocurrency space and co-founder of Tornado Cash, is facing charges of money laundering and sanctions violations related to his work with the cryptocurrency platform.

Storm has sought to have the charges dismissed, claiming they violate his First Amendment rights, and his trial has been postponed. His recent social media post discussing his legal challenges has drawn significant attention, with many in the industry reaching out to figures like Trump and Elon Musk for support.

Roman describes the trial as a “horrifying criminalization of privacy.”

Roman Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash, described his legal troubles as a serious threat to privacy. He was arrested in August 2023 and will stand trial in April 2025 on charges including money laundering. The case raised concerns about software development being treated as a crime, leading to another developer suing the Department of Justice.

The recent court decision ordered Tornado Cash to be removed from the US Treasury’s sanctions list, recognizing that smart contracts operate independently. This ruling suggests that laws need to be updated to better handle technologies like cryptocurrency mixers without disturbing their operation.

“I created Tornado in large part because of my suggestion that it was something worth building,” Buterin said. “It would be a violation of basic honor for me to do so, and then fail to support you in your hour of need. At Ethereum, we protect our property and preserve our honor.”

Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy said the authorities should focus on going after actual criminals who break the law rather than targeting developers.

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