Roman Storm says DOJ logic in Tornado Cash case could also implicate Google and OpenAI

Roman Storm, a founder of Tornado Cash, argued that if the U.S. Department of Justice’s theory in his case is accepted, major technology companies such as Google and OpenAI should also bear responsibility when their products are misused by North Korean hackers. Storm pointed to claims that individuals involved had used ChatGPT to write code and Google Gemini for forgery and image editing. He said that outcome would push liability beyond criminal actors and toward the developers of general-purpose tools. Storm was convicted in August 2025 on charges of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. He warned that the Tornado Cash case could create a legal precedent under which software developers are punished for crimes committed by users of their software. In his view, enforcement should target the offenders themselves rather than the creators of the tools. The report also noted that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, or CLARITY Act, is intended to provide protections for software developers by separating developer liability from the possibility that a protocol may be used for illegal activity. Even so, while a motion for final consideration of the bill has been scheduled for a vote, the chances of passage are still seen as low.