Vitalik Buterin Supports Tornado Cash Developer Roman Storm Before Sentencing

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin publicly supported Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm before his sentencing in the US. The DoJ accused Storm of laundering over $1 billion through Tornado Cash.

Buterin's letter questions criminalizing software development rather than financial misconduct.
He argues that developers shouldn't be liable for how open-source tools are used by others.
Buterin emphasizes the necessity of privacy technologies for protecting against data collection.
He revealed using Tornado Cash for technical payments and donations to human rights groups.
The Ethereum Foundation donated $500,000 and pledged to match an additional $750,000 in community contributions.
Over $6.39 million has been raised for Storm's defense in 2025, including a $500,000 donation from researcher Federico Carrone.
The Solana Policy Institute also contributed $500,000 to support both Storm and Tornado Cash co-creator Alexey Pertsev.