The Roman Storm legal team is expected to end its defense next week in the ongoing Tornado Cash trial. Judge Katherine Polk Failla said closing arguments will likely happen on Tuesday or Wednesday, leaving five days for the defense to finish.
Storm, the co-founder of Tornado Cash, has not confirmed whether he will testify. Before the trial began, he said in an interview that he “may or may not” take the stand. That remained uncertain by the end of Friday’s court session.
On Friday, an FBI agent gave testimony. He previously claimed that Roman Storm had control over funds that were used with the Tornado Cash service. The session ended shortly after the testimony. This marked the 10th day of the Tornado Cash trial.
Money laundering and sanctions violation charges against Storm
Roman Storm is facing money laundering charges, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business, and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions. The U.S. government filed the charges based on his involvement in developing and operating Tornado Cash.
His defense team began presenting its side on Thursday, starting with Ethereum developer Preston Van Loon. Van Loon spoke about the Ethereum ecosystem and gave details about Tornado Cash’s design and function.
Defense lawyers told the court they plan to bring up to five witnesses in total. Their names were not revealed during Friday’s proceedings. After those testimonies, the court will move to closing statements and then jury deliberations.
Vitalik Buterin and crypto figures back Roman Storm with legal funds
The Roman Storm trial has drawn attention across the crypto world. Vitalik Buterin, Matt Huang, and the Ethereum Foundation have all donated to a crypto legal fund supporting Storm. According to Storm, the fund reached over $2.8 million by Thursday.
“In Ethereum we protect our own, and uphold our honor,”
Buterin posted on X on January 22, replying to Storm.
Online responses to Buterin’s post included one from Reddit user NoSkidMarks, who wrote: “Privacy is a constitutional right, and publishing open source software is not a crime.”
Roman Storm claims Gusto deactivated his account during trial
Roman Storm said on X that Gusto, a payroll and HR platform, deactivated his account during the trial period. He claimed the move was related to the criminal charges. At the time of writing, Gusto had not issued a public response.
Storm’s post did not include the exact date of the deactivation. No additional comments were available from the company or court records. The issue remains unresolved as the trial proceeds.
Ethereum developer Preston Van Loon among defense witnesses
The first witness in Storm’s defense was Preston Van Loon, a well-known figure in the Ethereum developer community. His testimony began on Thursday and provided background on how Tornado Cash worked technically.
According to courtroom reporting, the defense will call more witnesses before resting its case next week. Van Loon’s appearance in the Roman Storm trial adds another voice from Ethereum’s core development team to the list of those defending Storm’s role.
The FBI agent testimony, along with the expected Roman Storm testimony, will likely play a key role in how the jury evaluates the money laundering charges and sanctions violation case. The Tornado Cash trial continues under Judge Failla in the Southern District of New York.
