Roman Storm's Tornado Cash Retrial Delayed to April 2027

Roman Storm, the co-founder of the Ethereum-based privacy mixer Tornado Cash, has had his retrial postponed to April 26, 2027. The decision was made by US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, who cited Storm's pending motion for acquittal as the primary reason for the delay.

The retrial was originally scheduled for October 2026, but Storm's defense team requested a later date, which the judge granted. This request was made in light of scheduling conflicts and the unresolved nature of the acquittal motion, which has been pending for nearly a year.

Storm was convicted in August 2025 on one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. However, the jury deadlocked on two other serious charges related to money laundering and sanctions violations, each of which could lead to up to 20 years in prison.

The prosecution has opted to retry Storm on these unresolved counts, while his defense argues that the evidence presented was insufficient for the conviction. The court has now reset the pretrial calendar, with expert disclosures due in early 2027 and a final pretrial conference scheduled for April 20, 2027.

This case has broader implications for developers of privacy-focused protocols, as it raises questions about their potential criminal liability for the misuse of their technology by others. The outcome could significantly impact the regulatory landscape for projects like Tornado Cash, which has faced scrutiny from the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control due to allegations of facilitating illicit financial activities.