According to a statement from the Solana Policy Institute on Thursday, as a non-profit advocacy organization for Solana, the institute has committed $500,000 to the legal defense of Tornado Cash co-founders Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, further expanding financial support from the crypto community.
The court ruled on August 6 that Storm was operating an unlicensed money transfer business. Pertsev was convicted of money laundering in 2024 for developing Tornado Cash, a protocol that allows users to obscure the source and destination of cryptocurrencies.
According to the Solana Policy Institute's statement on Thursday, its $500,000 donation will be used to support Storm's and Pertsev's appeals, which are seeking to overturn their convictions.
Through community fundraising, the "Free Roman Storm" fund has raised $5.5 million for his legal defense, still needing about $1.5 million to reach its goal.
In July, Storm posted on the X platform calling for $1.5 million to address rising legal costs.
Ethereum core developer Federico Carrone stated on August 11 that he would donate $500,000 after being detained by Turkish authorities for alleged connections to the Ethereum privacy protocol.
The Ethereum Foundation also pledged to provide up to $500,000 in matching donations for Storm's defense fund after his conviction.
The foundation had previously donated $500,000 in June and promised to match an additional $750,000 in donations from the crypto community.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also contributed, totaling two donations of 150 Ether, worth over $673,000 at current prices.
According to Bill Warren, a developer and contributor at Meta Cartel DAO, the organization has used all its funds (exact amount undisclosed) to support Storm's legal efforts.
Julian Zawistowski, founder of the Golem project, confirmed that his team also donated 50 Ether in July, worth over $224,000 at current prices.
Another significant donation came from investment firm Paradigm, which pledged $1.25 million in January. Co-founder Matt Huang stated at the time, "If software developers are held responsible for how third parties use their products, it will create a chilling effect on the crypto industry and beyond."
Legal professionals and industry observers condemned the convictions of the Tornado Cash developers, arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent for open-source developers. This ruling also impacts user privacy.
The Solana Policy Institute stated after the donation that the charges behind these convictions stem from a misunderstanding of how blockchain technology operates.
They noted that the government's logic is simple but dangerous: if you write open-source code that anyone can use, whether for good or ill, you are responsible for its misuse. Even if you have no ongoing control or ability over the relevant code, you are still held accountable.
The Blockchain Association in Washington also issued a similar statement after Storm's conviction, stating that the ruling "sets a dangerous precedent for open-source software developers."
Related: Hedge fund Numerai secures $500 million funding commitment from JPMorgan, driving the fusion of cryptocurrency and AI.
Original: “Solana Advocacy Group Injects $500,000 to Support Roman Storm's Defense Fund”
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