Roman Storm
Last changed 2026-10-10 · Score recalculated — Rescored under Scoring v2, the published formula (avoid.net/scoring): 22 → 36. Problems weighed by who is responsible: the subject's own conduct −24, concerns that are not fraud −12.8, problems around the subject, caused by others −2.4; legitimacy credit long-running +10. Version history →
Why this score
| Every page starts at | 65 |
| The subject's own conduct | -24 |
| Concerns that are not fraud | -12.8 |
| Problems around it, caused by others | -2.4 |
| Long-running | +10 |
| Sum | 36 |
Score: 36/100 (kept between 0 and 100)
How scoring works →Summary
Roman Storm is a Russian-born, naturalized U.S. citizen and co-founder of Tornado Cash, an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency mixing protocol sanctioned by OFAC in August 2022. He was arrested in August 2023 and indicted in the Southern District of New York on three counts: conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions (IEEPA). A jury convicted him in August 2025 on the unlicensed money transmitting count while deadlocking on the two more serious charges, and prosecutors have filed to retry him on the deadlocked counts in October 2026.
Connected Entities
10 entities · 60 linked investigations- Roman Storm→mentioned with→Solana(65%)
- Roman Storm→mentioned with→Harmony Bridge(65%)
- Roman Storm→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Roman Storm→mentioned with→Amazon(60%)
- Harmony Bridge→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Ethereum Foundation→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Axie Infinity→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Axie Infinity→mentioned with→Ronin Network(80%)
- Harmony Horizon Bridge→mentioned with→Roman Storm(80%)
- Ethereum Foundation→mentioned with→Vitalik Buterin(80%)
- + 16 more
Timeline(22 events)
August 2019
Roman Storm, Roman Semenov, and Alexey Pertsev deploy the Tornado Cash smart contracts on Ethereum mainnet.
March 2022
Lazarus Group allegedly uses Tornado Cash to launder more than $455 million stolen from Axie Infinity's Ronin Network bridge.
24 June 2022
Lazarus Group allegedly uses Tornado Cash to launder more than $96 million stolen in the Harmony Horizon bridge hack.
8 August 2022
OFAC sanctions Tornado Cash and associated Ethereum addresses, alleging the protocol facilitated over $7 billion in money laundering.
10 August 2022
Alexey Pertsev is arrested in the Netherlands in connection with Tornado Cash.
23 August 2023
Roman Storm is arrested in Washington State. DOJ unseals indictment in SDNY charging Storm and Semenov with money laundering conspiracy, unlicensed money transmission conspiracy, and IEEPA sanctions conspiracy.
23 August 2023
Roman Semenov is individually sanctioned by OFAC; remains at large as a Russian national not in U.S. custody.
29 March 2024
Storm's counsel files a motion to dismiss all charges, supported by DeFi Education Fund amicus brief.
14 May 2024
Dutch court convicts Alexey Pertsev of money laundering and sentences him to 64 months in prison.
26 September 2024
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla denies Storm's motion to dismiss.
November 2024
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit rules OFAC exceeded its authority in sanctioning Tornado Cash immutable smart contracts.
23 January 2025
President Trump signs executive order supporting open public blockchain networks and protecting software developers' rights.
21 March 2025
OFAC officially removes Tornado Cash from its sanctions list; Roman Semenov remains individually designated.
April 2025
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issues memo directing prosecutors to stop charging mixing services for end-user conduct.
15 May 2025
DOJ drops one sub-count (18 U.S.C. § 1960(b)(1)(B)) but continues pursuing remaining money laundering and IEEPA charges.
June 2025
Ethereum Foundation donates $500,000 to Storm's legal defense fund ahead of trial.
14 July 2025
Trial begins before Judge Failla in the Southern District of New York.
6 August 2025
Jury convicts Storm on conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business; declares itself deadlocked on money laundering and IEEPA sanctions counts. Judge declares mistrial on deadlocked counts.
30 September 2025
Storm's defense files Rule 29 motion for acquittal on the money transmitting conviction.
5 October 2025
Storm's attorneys publicly call for acquittal; defense raises constitutional challenges.
9 March 2026
DOJ files letter with court requesting retrial on the two deadlocked counts, proposing start date of October 5 or 12, 2026.
9 April 2026
Oral argument scheduled on Storm's Rule 29 motion for acquittal before Judge Failla.
Decision Log
- slot 455360895 · hash 4LXqvWs4UZnhJwvbzd1GSNvpoT4YqFopVirN4F2WJGcH
- slot 423217229 · hash E4XmXQnfuhAwnPmcek6BPkAY2meZLP5mWBFythsYN7df
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (2 decisions). 29 of 31 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 5/30/2026, 7:10:29 PM
last updated: 10/10/2026, 6:41:45 PM
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