2024

Tornado Cash

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Tornado

American crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has terminated a fundraising campaign aimed at raising legal defense funds for Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev, co-founder and developer, respectively, of the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash.&nbsp; 
The fundraiser was initiated following a Jan. 22 video by Storm, appealing for financial support in their legal battle against <a href="https://crypto.news/tornado-cash-creators-deny-laundering-1b-for-north-korea-hackers/">charges</a> by U.S. authorities. The charges allege the facilitation of sanction evasion through their service. The platform cited a violation of their <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/c/terms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terms of service</a>, specifically referencing potential exposure to harm or liability, as the reason for the fundraiser’s cancellation on Feb. 14. 
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 The money we sent to <a href="https://twitter.com/rstormsf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@rstormsf</a> was cancelled by <a href="https://twitter.com/gofundme?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@gofundme</a> – they shut it down. I thought this might happen but am still surprised. Good thing we have an uncensorable money system so we can still fund civil liberties like the right to a fair trial. Resending $10k with crypto. <a href="https://t.co/5Ud4ELiaK5" target="_blank">https://t.co/5Ud4ELiaK5</a> <a href="https://t.co/glRXwtXPBw" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/glRXwtXPBw</a>— RYAN SΞAN ADAMS – rsa.eth (@RyanSAdams) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanSAdams/status/1758103761589801009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February 15, 2024</a>
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Contributors, including Ryan Adams from Bankless Ventures, received refunds. Adams, highlighting the significance of uncensorable financial support for civil liberties, committed to redirecting his $10,000 donation back to Storm via cryptocurrency. GoFundMe assured that refunds would be processed within three to seven business days.&nbsp; 
Despite this setback, the campaign had managed to collect $30,000 towards a $1.5 million goal for legal expenses. Fundraising efforts have since moved to JuiceBox, a cryptocurrency funding platform, accumulating 316.75 Ether. 
 You might also like: <a href="https://crypto.news/do-kwon-retains-dentons-law-firm-to-defend-against-us-charges/"> Do Kwon retains Dentons law firm to defend against US charges </a> 
The decision to cancel the fundraiser has sparked discussions within the Tornado Cash community, with comparisons drawn to GoFundMe allowing <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/wausau-pilot-review-legal-defense-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar campaigns</a> in the past. This has raised questions about the <a href="https://crypto.news/iran-may-freeze-bank-accounts-of-women-who-dont-comply-with-hijab-rule/">consistency</a> of the platform’s policy enforcement. 
Storm and Pertsev are facing <a href="https://crypto.news/tornado-cash-developers-charged-with-money-laundering-in-us/">several federal charges</a>, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, sanctions violations, and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Despite these allegations, they maintain their innocence. Storm, <a href="https://crypto.news/tornado-cash-developer-granted-bail-in-us/">released</a> on a $2 million bond, is confined to specific U.S. states pending his trial. 
The development follows NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden <a href="https://crypto.news/nsa-whistleblower-urges-support-legal-defense-for-tornado-cash-developer/">voicing his support</a> for Storm, emphasizing the importance of privacy and fair legal defense in a social media post. This endorsement brings significant attention to the case, given Snowden’s advocacy for privacy rights. 
Moreover, <a href="https://crypto.news/crypto-mixer-tornado-cash-laundered-over-550m-in-2023-despite-sanctions/">recent reports</a> have illuminated Tornado Cash’s involvement in laundering over half a billion dollars in 2023, despite U.S. sanctions imposed in 2022. These sanctions aimed to curb the mixer’s operations, which have been linked to the North Korea-affiliated <a href="https://crypto.news/lazarus-group-hackers-from-country-with-no-internet-threaten-defi/">Lazarus Group</a>, among others. Following these measures, Tornado Cash experienced an approximate 85% reduction in transaction volume, according to an October 2023 report by TRM Labs. 
 Read more: <a href="https://crypto.news/us-doj-brings-charges-in-btc-e-exchange-case/"> US DoJ brings charges in BTC-e exchange case </a>

GoFundMe cancels fundraiser for tornado cash founders facing US charges

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