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Solana lobby group adds $500K to Roman Storm’s defense war chest

Solana lobby group adds $500K to Roman Storm’s defense war chest

CointimeCointime2025/08/29 19:55
By:Cointime

The Solana Policy Institute, a nonprofit Solana advocacy group, has pledged $500,000 toward the legal defense of Tornado Cash co-founders Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, adding to growing financial support from the crypto community.

Storm was found guilty of  operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business  on Aug. 6, while Pertsev was found guilty in 2024 of money laundering in connection with developing  Tornado Cash, a protocol  allowing users to mask the origin and destination of their crypto. 

The Solana Policy Institute  said  in a statement on Thursday that its $500,000 donation will help Storm (who is in post-trial motions seeking to overturn his conviction) and Pertsev’s appeal.

Through community fundraising, the Free Roman Storm fund has  raised  $5.5 million to aid with his legal defense, about $1.5 million away from its goal. 

Solana lobby group adds $500K to Roman Storm’s defense war chest image 0   So far, a Free Roman Storm defense fund has raised over $5 million. Source: Roman Storm defense fund 


Ethereum heavyweights come out swinging

In a call for support back in July, Storm  asked  in an X statement for $1.5 million to help with mounting legal costs.

Ethereum core developer Federico Carrone  said he would contribute $500,000 on Aug. 11, after he was detained by Turkish authorities  over alleged links to an Ethereum privacy protocol.

The Ethereum Foundation also  pledged to match up to $500,000  in donations to Storm’s defense fund following his conviction.

The Foundation had already donated $500,000 in June and promised to match up to an additional $750,000 in donations from the crypto community.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin  has also contributed to the cause, with two donations totalling 150 Ether, worth over $673,000 at current prices.

Other community members donate to Storm’s cause

In July, Bill Warren, a developer and contributor to Meta Cartel DAO,  said  the group’s entire treasury, an unspecified amount, had been cleared out to support Storm’s legal cause.

Julian Zawistowski, founder of the Golem project,  confirmed  that his team had donated 50 Ether in July as well, worth more than $224,000 at current prices.  

Solana lobby group adds $500K to Roman Storm’s defense war chest image 1   Source: Julian Zawistowski


Another sizable donation came from investment firm Paradigm, which pledged $1.25 million in January, with co-founder Matt Huang  saying  at the time, “Holding software developers’ liability for how third parties use the product would have a chilling effect in crypto and beyond.”

Storm’s case changes developers’ “risk calculus”

Legal professionals and industry observers have  condemned the convictions  of the Torndao Cash developers, arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent for open-source developers and has implications for user privacy.

After its donation, the Solana Policy Institute argued that the allegations behind the convictions are based on a misunderstanding of how blockchain technology works.

“The government’s logic is simple but dangerous: If you write open-source code that anyone can use — for good or for ill — you’re responsible for its misuse — even without any ongoing control over, or ability to control, the code at issue,” they said.

“If the government can prosecute developers for creating neutral tools that others misuse, it fundamentally changes developers’ risk calculus.”

The Blockchain Association, a crypto industry lobby group in Washington, made a similar statement after Storm was convicted, and  said  the ruling “sets a dangerous precedent for open-source software developers.”

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Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

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