BREAKING: Roman Storm Convicted on One Count – Jury Deadlocked on Two Other Charges

Another crypto legal saga reaches its climax—with a twist.

Roman Storm, the embattled developer behind privacy-focused protocol Tornado Cash, faces conviction on one charge while the jury remains split on two additional counts. The verdict lands like a gut punch to crypto’s 'code is law' purists—and a gift to regulators hungry for precedent.

The Split Decision:

One guilty. Two undecided. The outcome reads like a Rorschach test for crypto’s future. Storm’s team spins it as a partial victory; prosecutors call it a warning shot. Meanwhile, VCs quietly recalculate their compliance budgets.

Why It Matters:

This isn’t just about Storm. It’s a proxy war over accountability in decentralized systems. Can devs be liable for how others use their tools? The DOJ’s answer: *Sometimes.*

The Irony:

The same week Wall Street gets fined $200 million for *accidentally* violating sanctions, a coder faces prison for *intentionally* building uncensorable software. Priorities, right?

Storm’s sentencing looms. The crypto world holds its breath—and checks its opsec.

Jury in Tornado Cash Case Hung on Two Counts

According to reports, Storm has been found guilty on one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Judge: He may appeal, he has every incentive to stay and fight. He is not a risk of flight, given the size of the bond. There is a lot of fighting left in this case before sentencing, and I think Mr. Storm will stay for it.

However, the jury was unable to reach a consensus on the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering and sanctions violations, resulting in a partial mistrial.

Indicted in August 2023, Storm could have faced up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the latter two charges. He will now face up to 5 years behind bars for his unlicensed money-transmitting conviction.

Following the ruling, Judge Katherine Polk Failla decided that Storm WOULD not be remanded back into custody, given that she believes Storm possesses “every incentive to stay and fight.”

“He is not a risk of flight, given the size of the bond,” Inner City Press quoted Failla as saying. “There is a lot of fighting left in this case before sentencing, and I think Mr. Storm will stay for it.”

According to Inner City Press, federal prosecutors said they would “get back to the court” on whether they will retry Storm on the hung jury charges.

When Will Roman Storm Face Sentencing?

News of the verdict in Storm’s case comes after the Tornado Cash co-founder’s long campaign to raise financial contributions to his legal defense.

On July 26, Storm posted an “urgent call for support” on his official X account, claiming that “every bit counts.”

“Legal costs are piling up fast, and we urgently need your help,” Storm wrote. “If you believe in open-source, privacy, and standing up to injustice, please donate now.“

A date for Storm’s sentencing has yet to be set.