Tornado Cash attorney: The U.S. Attorney General’s statements lack credibility, and the direction of the case will not change

April 28, cryptocurrency reporter Eleanor Terrett posted on the X platform disclosing that the defense attorney for Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, Keri Curtis Axel, responded to statements made by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at the Bitcoin 2026 conference, clearly stating that the relevant remarks offered no hope for the case.

Keri Curtis Axel’s Response: Prosecution Continues, Statements Contradict

According to a post published on X by cryptocurrency reporter Eleanor Terrett on April 28, she asked the defense team whether Blanche’s remarks brought any hope to the Roman Storm case, and attorney Keri Curtis Axel explicitly replied, “No.”

Axel said that while the Department of Justice continues to move forward with prosecuting Roman Storm, it claims it has “fundamentally changed the game,” and the two are directly contradictory. She also rebutted Blanche’s claim that the relevant case could be escalated step by step to the highest levels within the Department of Justice.

Blanche’s Remarks at the Bitcoin 2026 Conference

According to现场 reporting from the Bitcoin 2026 conference, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche attended the conference panel discussion on April 27 (Monday) together with FBI Director Kash Patel. In response to a question from Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal, Blanche said:

“ If you’re building software—if you’re a programmer—if you… aren’t helping third parties commit crimes using what you developed—you’re not going to be investigated, and you’re not going to be prosecuted.”

Blanche also said: “I really need programmers to understand—I really need the whole industry to understand—that in terms of investigations, we’ve fundamentally changed the game.”

Paul Grewal’s question concerned two cases involving Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet. Both cases were brought during the Biden administration and are still being prosecuted during the Trump administration.

Current Status of the Roman Storm and Samourai Wallet Cases

According to publicly available court records, Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm has been found guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business; the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on two counts—conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions—and those charges remain to be handled through subsequent judicial proceedings.

According to publicly available information, Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill were sentenced last November in similar cases. U.S. President Donald Trump has been asked whether he would consider pardoning Rodriguez.

Before taking on the role of acting Attorney General, Blanche served as Deputy Attorney General, and during his tenure issued a memorandum stating that the Justice Department would avoid bringing cases that, in practice, impose a regulatory framework on digital assets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Keri Curtis Axel say that Blanche’s statements lack credibility?

According to a post on X published by cryptocurrency reporter Eleanor Terrett on April 28, Axel pointed out that while the Department of Justice continues to move forward with prosecuting Roman Storm, it claims it has implemented law-enforcement reforms, and that the two are directly contradictory. Therefore, she concluded that the relevant statements lack credibility.

When and where did Todd Blanche make the developer-protection remarks?

According to现场 reporting from the Bitcoin 2026 conference, Blanche made the above remarks during a panel discussion at the Bitcoin 2026 conference on April 27 (Monday), responding to a question from Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal.

What legal charges is Roman Storm currently facing?

According to publicly available court records, Roman Storm has been found guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business; for the two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict, and the matter remains pending to be handled through subsequent judicial proceedings.