Trump Urged to Drop Roman Storm Charges by 65+ Crypto Groups
More than 65 organizations throughout the U.S. crypto sector have urged President Donald Trump to intervene within the prosecution of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, arguing that the case represents a broader risk to software program growth and the nation’s standing in digital finance.
The joint letter, despatched on November 20 and signed by main business associations, DeFi builders, traders, and analysis teams, calls on federal businesses to ship rapid regulatory and tax readability whereas ending what the group describes as “regulation by prosecution.”
Developers Say Open-Source Code Is Not a Crime as They Push DOJ to End Storm Case
The attraction marks one of many largest coordinated coverage pushes from the crypto business since Trump returned to the White House.
The letter credit the administration for a sequence of actions over the previous 12 months, together with the nullification of the IRS broker rule, passage of the GENIUS Act, and the reversal of earlier restrictions on the use of digital assets in retirement plans.
It argues that these steps have opened the door for brand spanking new financial exercise, however says a number of unresolved points proceed to push builders and companies abroad.
A central request within the letter is that the Department of Justice dismiss the remaining fees in opposition to Roman Storm.
Storm was convicted in August 2025 on one depend of conspiracy to function an unlicensed cash transmitting enterprise. The conviction carries a most sentence of 5 years.
The jury didn’t attain a verdict on two extra critical allegations involving cash laundering and sanctions violations, leading to a partial mistrial.
Prosecutors have not yet confirmed whether or not they’ll retry him on these counts. Storm stays free on bail whereas post-trial motions and a potential attraction transfer ahead.
The signatories argue that Storm’s work on Tornado Cash represents the writing of open-source software program moderately than the operation of a cash service.
They level to current Department of Justice steerage issued earlier this 12 months, which stated that prosecutors mustn’t deliver unlicensed money transmitting fees in opposition to builders of decentralized software program.
While that coverage doesn’t apply retroactively, Storm’s legal professionals are anticipated to reference it as a part of their ongoing authorized problem.
Advocacy Groups Urge Trump to Prioritize Developer Protections and Modernize Crypto Policy
Pressure from crypto advocacy teams has intensified in current months. In April, the DeFi Education Fund sent a letter to White House crypto adviser David Sacks calling the Roman Storm case a “lawless prosecution” and warning it might deter builders from constructing permissionless instruments.
The DeFi Education Fund (@fund_defi) has proposed DeFi options to handle international poverty, reporting the tech might save customers $30 billion a 12 months by reducing remittance charges. #DeFi #PovertyAlleviationhttps://t.co/tk1VdQ2RcC
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) November 19, 2025
That message gained assist from business figures together with Fred Ehrsam, Matt Huang, and Tim Beiko, who argued that earlier FinCEN steerage said noncustodial software program builders shouldn’t be categorised as cash transmitters, inserting the present case at odds with established coverage.
Storm’s authorized course of remains to be energetic. An August courtroom submitting set deadlines for post-trial motions through November, whereas prosecutors mentioned they’ll later determine whether or not to retry him on unresolved counts.
According to the Free Roman Storm campaign, supporters have raised $5.3 million of a $7 million purpose to fund his protection.
The joint business letter to President Trump extends past Storm’s scenario.
It urges the Treasury and IRS to problem long-delayed tax steerage on staking rewards, mining rewards, cross-chain transfers, airdrops, forks, and rebases, areas the teams say have suffered from uncertainty and pushed exercise offshore.
The signatories additionally request affirmation that utilizing crypto as collateral for loans just isn’t taxable and that digital asset donations ought to obtain the identical remedy as inventory donations.
They additional name on the SEC and CFTC to present interim guidelines that shield open-source, permissionless growth whereas broader regulatory frameworks stay unfinished.
Updated FinCEN steerage reaffirming that noncustodial blockchain software program falls exterior the Bank Secrecy Act can be a key demand.
The letter arrives throughout a interval of elevated government concentrate on digital belongings. Trump has already issued pardons to several prominent figures within the sector this 12 months, together with Ross Ulbricht, Changpeng Zhao, and Arthur Hayes.
The administration has additionally framed digital asset growth as a priority for U.S. economic competitiveness and has pushed businesses to undertake a coordinated framework for crypto oversight.
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