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Tornado Cash at the center of money laundering charges.
Two co-founders of cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash have been charged with money laundering and other crimes, a year after US authorities banned the Russian platform for its alleged support of North Korean hackers.
Roman Semyonov and Roman Storm were charged with conspiracy to launder money, violating sanctions and running an illegal money business, the US Department of Justice said.
Storm, who was granted U.S. citizenship, was arrested in Washington State. Semenov, a Russian citizen, has not yet been detained.
Alexey Pertsev, the third co-founder, was arrested in the Netherlands last August.
Tornado Cash is accused of conducting more than $1 billion in money laundering operations and helping launder hundreds of millions of dollars for the Lazarus Group, a hacker group linked to the financing of North Korea's nuclear program.
US Attorney Damian Williams said: "Despite claims of high technical data protection, Storm and Semyonov knew that they were helping criminals hide the results of their crimes."
The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Semenov for his association with Lazarus Group.
Tornado Cash, launched in 2019, offers mixing services to hide the sources of funds. These services can be used by both ordinary users and criminals.
Cryptocurrency advocates criticize the ban on Tornado Cash, considering it excessive. Storm's lawyer, Brian Klein, expressed disappointment that his client is being charged on "the basis of a new legal theory with dangerous consequences for developers."
"Storm has been cooperating with the investigation since last year and is challenging his involvement in the crimes," Klein added.
Representatives of Semenov and Pertsev have not yet commented on the situation.
Two co-founders of cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash have been charged with money laundering and other crimes, a year after US authorities banned the Russian platform for its alleged support of North Korean hackers.
Roman Semyonov and Roman Storm were charged with conspiracy to launder money, violating sanctions and running an illegal money business, the US Department of Justice said.
Storm, who was granted U.S. citizenship, was arrested in Washington State. Semenov, a Russian citizen, has not yet been detained.
Alexey Pertsev, the third co-founder, was arrested in the Netherlands last August.
Tornado Cash is accused of conducting more than $1 billion in money laundering operations and helping launder hundreds of millions of dollars for the Lazarus Group, a hacker group linked to the financing of North Korea's nuclear program.
US Attorney Damian Williams said: "Despite claims of high technical data protection, Storm and Semyonov knew that they were helping criminals hide the results of their crimes."
The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Semenov for his association with Lazarus Group.
Tornado Cash, launched in 2019, offers mixing services to hide the sources of funds. These services can be used by both ordinary users and criminals.
Cryptocurrency advocates criticize the ban on Tornado Cash, considering it excessive. Storm's lawyer, Brian Klein, expressed disappointment that his client is being charged on "the basis of a new legal theory with dangerous consequences for developers."
"Storm has been cooperating with the investigation since last year and is challenging his involvement in the crimes," Klein added.
Representatives of Semenov and Pertsev have not yet commented on the situation.
