The Ethereum Foundation has contributed $500,000 toward the legal defence of Roman Storm, a co-founder of the crypto-mixing protocol Tornado Cash, and said it will match up to $750,000 in additional community donations. The move follows earlier industry fundraising and underscores the foundation’s stance that “privacy is normal and writing code is not a crime.” Storm’s federal trial began this week in the Southern District of New York, where a jury was seated on 15 July. Prosecutors allege he knowingly helped launder more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency through Tornado Cash, including funds tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Storm has pleaded not guilty, arguing that the open-source software was designed to protect user privacy, not facilitate crime. The case is emerging as a pivotal test of developer liability and the boundaries of decentralised finance. Alongside the Ethereum Foundation’s pledge, community and venture-backed contributions have pushed Storm’s legal war chest toward $3 million, according to industry filings. Observers say the verdict could set precedents for how U.S. authorities regulate open-source cryptography projects.