Solana Policy Institute Supports Tornado Cash Developers

The Solana Policy Institute has issued a $500,000 donation to aid the legal defense of Tornado Cash developers Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, both of whom have been convicted of offenses related to the cryptocurrency mixer and now face potential prison sentences. Pertsev appealed his conviction in May 2024, while Storm, recently found guilty of a money transmitting charge, is expected to pursue post-trial motions to overturn his ruling, as noted in official filings from August 11. "These prosecutions set a troubling precedent that jeopardizes the software development sector," stated Miller Whitehouse-Levine, CEO of the Solana Policy Institute, in a blog post on Thursday. "If the government can prosecute developers for producing neutral tools that may be misused, it dramatically alters the risk assessment for those developers. Why would anyone create innovative software if it could lead to criminal charges?" Pertsev received a 64-month prison sentence from a Dutch court for his role in facilitating $1.2 billion in money laundering through the Tornado Cash mixer between July 2019 and August 2022. Just a year later, Storm was convicted in a New York court for conspiracy to run an unlicensed money transmitting business, although the jury could not reach a verdict on the charges of money laundering and sanctions violations. In the U.S., the approach to prosecuting software developers has evolved since the Trump administration took office. Last week, Matthew J. Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, declared that "writing code" is not inherently a crime. Whitehouse-Levine expressed hope that this statement would lead to tangible changes. "In the meantime, we will continue to support Storm and Pertsev and are grateful for all those in the crypto sector who advocate for them," added Whitehouse-Levine. The Solana Policy Institute also joined a coalition of over 100 other cryptocurrency organizations in a letter urging lawmakers to safeguard software developers during discussions about how to regulate the digital asset industry. Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media source providing news and analysis. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a primary investor in The Block. Foresight Ventures also invests in various crypto enterprises. Bitget operates as an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block maintains independence to offer reliable and timely insights into the crypto space. For current financial disclosures, see our website. © 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered as legal, tax, investment, or any other type of professional advice.