DOJ Rejects Tornado Cash Developer's Bid for Dismissal Based on Supreme Court Ruling

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has been pushing for the retrial of Roman Storm, a software developer accused of operating an illegal money transmitter through his Ethereum-based project, Tornado Cash. Storm's lawyers had argued that a recent Supreme Court ruling in Cox v. Music Publishers Association could have significant implications for their client's case.

However, in a letter sent to the judge on Tuesday, federal prosecutors urged her to disregard the Cox decision, stating that it deals with a different situation and industry. The DOJ claimed that Storm was personally aware of misconduct by users of Tornado Cash and did not intervene to stop it, unlike Cox, which had implemented policies to discourage copyright infringement.

The case highlights tensions between the Trump administration's pro-crypto stance and its continued prosecution of crypto developers. The decision is significant given the DOJ's previous pledges to stop prosecuting crypto privacy software developers, despite sending multiple such developers to prison in the interim.