US Prosecutors Seek October 2026 Retrial for Tornado Cash Developer Roman Storm

• US prosecutors seek retrial for Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm after a jury failed to reach a verdict on money laundering charges.

• Retrial request follows split jury decision that left sanctions and money laundering conspiracy charges unresolved.

• Roman Storm faces a possible 40 year prison sentence if a new jury convicts him on the remaining two federal charges.

U.S. prosecutors have requested a retrial for Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm on two unresolved criminal charges. The request follows a split jury verdict from Storm’s earlier trial in federal court last year. The request was filed on Monday by authorities in the Southern District of New York. The prosecutors requested the court to set the retrial date to early October 2026. According to the Justice Department, the new trial would take approximately three weeks.

🚨BREAKING: DOJ SEEKS RETRIAL FOR TORNADO CASH CO-FOUNDER ROMAN STORM

The U.S. Department of Justice has asked the courts to retry Roman Storm on money laundering and sanctions violation charges after the jury deadlocked in his first trial, proposing an early October retrial. pic.twitter.com/4yJyQYcaPo

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) March 10, 2026

Storm is a co-founder and a non-custodial cryptocurrency mixer, Tornado Cash, which aims to maximize the privacy of transactions. According to the U.S. authorities, the protocol aided in the laundering of over $1 billion of illegal funds. The case has attracted interest both in the cryptocurrency industry and the legal community. Many observers view the case as a test for liability involving open-source software developers.

Prosecutors Request October Retrial Window

This request is written in a letter to the U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla. The filing was by the prosecutors of the Southern District of New York. The Manhattan U.S Attorney Jay Clayton requested the court to commence the retrial between October 5 or October 12. According to prosecutors, the process would probably take three weeks.

The Justice Department explained that it could begin the retrial earlier if scheduling allowed. However, defense lawyers indicated that their availability does not align with an earlier schedule. Prosecutors therefore proposed the October timeline to prevent further delays. The letter also noted that the government remains prepared to move forward sooner if both parties agree.

However, Storm’s legal team indicated that setting a retrial date may be premature. They pointed to a pending legal motion that still requires court review. Despite that position, the defense confirmed availability for a three-week trial window in late September or early October. The defense also indicated availability in early December.

Jury Deadlock Leaves Two Charges Unresolved

Storm previously faced several criminal charges tied to the operation of Tornado Cash. The first trial took place in August when a jury made a verdict. Storm was found guilty by jurors of plotting to run an unlicensed money-transmitting business. The jury however could not come to a unanimous decision on two other charges. Additionally, Roman Storm continued crowdfunding to pay rising legal fees.

The unresolved ones are conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to break the U.S. sanctions legislation. Since the jury had failed to reach a consensus on those counts, the prosecutors still have the choice to retry them. The Justice Department is now trying to revive those charges in federal court.

Storm has maintained that prosecutors failed to prove criminal intent during the trial. His legal team also filed a Rule 29 motion requesting a judgment of acquittal. The court scheduled arguments for that motion on April 9. Prosecutors still asked the court to set a retrial date despite the pending motion.

Crypto Industry Support and Policy Debate

Storm’s legal case has drawn strong reactions from the cryptocurrency industry. Several advocacy groups and developers argue that writing open-source software should not trigger criminal liability. Supporters also warn that the case could influence how courts treat decentralized software developers.

Many industry participants have contributed funds to support Storm’s legal defense. Donations from the broader crypto community have reached millions of dollars. Supporters believe the case may shape legal protections for developers who publish blockchain code.

Meanwhile, policymakers continue debating the role of crypto privacy tools. A recent Treasury Department report to Congress recognized that crypto mixers may serve legitimate privacy purposes. The report noted that individuals sometimes use mixers to protect financial privacy or charitable donations.

Nonetheless, authorities also proceed to point out illicit finance risks. Officials tend to associate mixers with money laundering activity related to cybercrime and violations of sanctions. The controversy involving Tornado Cash is thus indicative of more general conflict between privacy technology and financial regulation.

Changing Regulatory Context Around Mixers

Storm’s case began during the administration of former President Joe Biden. Since then, the federal government has shown signs of shifting its policy stance. Officials have increasingly discussed the difference between software development and direct financial misconduct.

Earlier statements from senior Justice Department officials suggested that writing code alone should not automatically trigger criminal liability. In the meantime, Tornado Cash-related sanctions have also been reviewed in courts. In 2025, the Treasury Department removed its 2022 sanctions on the protocol following a court decision.

The legal landscape of privacy tools and decentralized protocols is still changing. The retrial of Storm can thus have some consequences to developers of non-custodial blockchain applications. Courts may examine whether software creators bear responsibility for how third parties use decentralized protocols.