Ethereum Foundation Steps in to Support Roman Storm

Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin has confirmed that the Ethereum Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting blockchain-related projects, is involved in fundraising for Roman Storm. Buterin announced this via a post on his X handle to the cryptocurrency community.

Fundraising for Legal Defense

According to Buterin, the Ethereum Foundation is currently “matching donations” towards the legal defense of Storm, who is a co-founder of Tornado Cash. Notably, Storm is facing serious legal issues in the U.S., including charges related to money laundering and sanctions violations.

Storm’s case is controversial in the crypto world. Many in the Ethereum community see it as a potential threat to “open-source” development and financial privacy tools.

> EF is matching donations https://t.co/LZqtfpxrrM
> — vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) June 25, 2025

In 2022, the U.S. government sanctioned Tornado Cash for allegedly using its supply chain to assist in nefarious activities, including laundering funds for North Korea derived from the Axie Infinity hack. Prominent figures in the crypto community are supporting Storm’s defense, and Buterin confirmed that the Ethereum Foundation will match contributions made to his legal fees.

This initiative may significantly assist Storm in obtaining proper representation as his case approaches. According to Roman Storm’s notice, potential donors have 19 days left to contribute to his legal defense fund.

Reversal of U.S. Treasury Sanctions

In a positive development, the U.S. Treasury lifted the sanctions on Tornado Cash in March 2025. This has been celebrated as a critical win for the decentralized finance sector in the U.S., and many believe that it could positively influence Storm’s court case.

Buterin’s initiative through the Ethereum Foundation to match donations for Storm’s defense aims to ensure he can hire the best legal team possible.