GoFundMe, a prominent crowdfunding platform in the United States, has terminated a fundraising campaign aimed at gathering legal fees for Roman Storm, co-founder of the controversial cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, and its developer Alexey Pertsev. The fundraiser was initiated by Storm on January 22 through a video appeal, seeking financial support for their legal battle against U.S. authorities over alleged involvement in circumventing U.S. sanctions. Despite the initial influx of funds from backers, GoFundMe abruptly canceled the campaign on February 14, citing violations of its terms of service, particularly Section 22, which aims to safeguard the platform, its employees, and users from any potential harm or liability.
The cancellation of the GoFundMe campaign resulted in many donors, including Ryan Adams from Bankless Ventures, having their donations reversed. Adams emphasized the resilience of uncensored currency systems, enabling the continued support of civil liberties such as the right to a fair trial. He pledged to return his initial $10,000 donation to Storm using cryptocurrency, with GoFundMe confirming that refunded funds would be processed within three to seven business days.
Despite the setback on GoFundMe, the Tornado Cash fundraising campaign managed to accrue $30,000 in donations during its brief existence. Storm and Pertsev's objective was to raise $1.5 million to cover their legal expenses in the United States. Presently, they are relying on the crypto financing platform JuiceBox, having collected 316.75 Ethereum for their cause.
However, members of the Tornado Cash community raised questions regarding GoFundMe's decision to cancel the fundraiser, particularly as the platform had previously allowed similar campaigns. Storm and Pertsev face charges of conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transfer business. Despite these allegations, they maintain their innocence and are currently free on bail, albeit with restrictions on travel outside specific regions of the United States, including New York, New Jersey, Washington, and certain areas of California.
