GoFundMe Cancels Fundraiser for Tornado Cash Co-Founder’s Legal Fees

GoFundMe Cancels Tornado Cash Legal Battle Crowdfunding Due to Violation of Terms of Service

GoFundMe ends Tornado Cash crowdfunding for legal defense

🌪️🏦 In a surprising turn of events, crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has canceled a fundraiser aimed at collecting legal fees for the co-founder of Tornado Cash, Roman Storm, and its developer, Alexey Pertsev. The fundraiser was initiated after Storm released a video requesting community support in his court battle against US authorities for allegedly facilitating the bypass of US sanctions.

🚫🔒 However, on February 14th, GoFundMe decided to cancel the fundraiser, citing a breach of their terms of service, specifically Term 22. This term states that any fundraisers that could potentially expose GoFundMe or its users to harm or liability of any kind are not allowed. As a result, many donors, including Ryan Adams of Bankless Ventures, had their contributions returned.

😲 Adams responded to the cancellation with a witty remark, saying, “Good thing we have an uncensorable money system so we can still fund civil liberties like the right to a fair trial.” He even pledged to send his $10,000 contribution back to Storm using cryptocurrencies.

📉🏦 The GoFundMe campaign managed to raise $30,000 in donations before it was shut down. Storm and Pertsev have set a target of $1.5 million to fund their legal defense in the United States. Currently, they are relying on the crypto funding platform JuiceBox, where they have already collected 316.75 ETH.

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🤔❓ The Tornado Cash community has raised concerns about GoFundMe’s decision to cancel the fundraiser, especially since similar campaigns have been allowed in the past. This move has left many wondering about the platform’s true intentions and whether there might be other factors at play.

💼💵 Storm and Pertsev are facing charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. However, they maintain their innocence and deny all the charges related to money laundering and violations of US sanctions. Storm is currently out on a $2 million bond but is restricted from traveling outside certain regions of New York, New Jersey, Washington, and California.

💪👨‍⚖️ It remains to be seen how Storm and Pertsev will navigate the legal battle without the support of a major crowdfunding platform. The crypto community will be closely watching the progress of their case, as it could have implications for the broader industry and the use of decentralized finance tools like Tornado Cash.

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🔍💡 Additional Information and Q&A:

Q: Why did GoFundMe cancel the fundraiser? A: GoFundMe cited a breach of their terms of service, specifically Term 22, which states that fundraisers that could potentially expose GoFundMe or its users to harm or liability are not allowed.

Q: What is Tornado Cash? A: Tornado Cash is a controversial cryptocurrency mixer that allows users to anonymize their transactions by providing privacy through obfuscation techniques.

Q: How much money did the GoFundMe campaign raise before it was canceled? A: The campaign managed to raise $30,000 in donations before it was shut down.

Q: Why are Storm and Pertsev facing charges? A: They are facing charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

Q: What is the current status of Storm’s legal situation? A: Storm is out on a $2 million bond but is restricted from traveling outside certain regions of New York, New Jersey, Washington, and California.

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📚🔗 References: 1. Tornado Cash co-founder promises ‘strong defense’ at US criminal trial 2. Top AI tools of 2023, weird DEI image guardrails, ‘based’ AI bots: AI Eye

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💬📢 What are your thoughts on GoFundMe canceling the fundraiser? Do you think this decision was justified? Share your opinions and let’s discuss! And don’t forget to share this article on your favorite social media platforms to get more people involved in the conversation. 👍✨

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