Solana Policy Institute adds $500K to Tornado Cash defence, as crypto leaders rally against a precedent that threatens open source development.
The Solana Policy Institute, a nonprofit Solana advocacy group, has pledged $500,000 to support the legal defence of Tornado Cash co-founders Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, underscoring industry concern over the precedent their convictions set for open-source development. The donation will help fund Storm’s post-trial motions and Pertsev’s appeal.
Through community fundraising, the Free Roman Storm Fund has collected nearly $5.5 million, just $1.5 million short of its target. Storm had initially appealed for $1.5 million in July to cover legal costs.
Storm was found guilty on Aug. 6 of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, while Pertsev was convicted of money laundering in 2024 in connection with Tornado Cash, a protocol enabling users to mask crypto transactions.
High-profile contributions have strengthened the defence fund. Ethereum core developer Federico Carrone pledged $500,000 in August, while the Ethereum Foundation donated $500,000 in June and committed to match up to $750,000 more. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin added 150 Ether in two tranches, worth more than $673,000.
Other significant support has come from investment firm Paradigm, which pledged $1.25 million. Its co-founder Matt Huang warned: “Holding software developers’ liability for how third parties use the product would have a chilling effect in crypto and beyond.” Meta Cartel DAO contributed its entire treasury, while Golem founder Julian Zawistowski donated 50 Ether worth over $224,000.
The Solana Policy Institute argued the convictions are based on flawed logic: “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.”
The Blockchain Association echoed that the ruling “sets a dangerous precedent for open source software developers,” intensifying concerns about criminalising neutral code.
