April 19, 2024

Tornado Cash users sued the US Treasury for imposing sanctions against the service

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Tornado Cash users sued the US Treasury for imposing sanctions against the service

Crypto Mixer UsersTornado Cash sued the US Treasury Department for sanctioning the service, arguing that banning open source software violates the US Constitution.

On Wednesday, May 24, six Tornado usersCash demanded that the US Treasury lift sanctions from the cryptomixer, since the department does not have the right to impose a ban on the use of the platform, and the government is abusing its powers. This initiative was sponsored by the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.

The plaintiffs argue that the imposition of sanctions againstTornado Cash violates the First Amendment related to freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Therefore, sanctions against an open source platform violate the fundamental rights of US citizens. Plaintiffs deny allegations that any owner of TORN crypto assets is considered a member of the Tornado Cash organization.

The complaint notes that, according to the regulationslaw, which was used to impose sanctions against the cryptomixer, blocking can only be imposed on property. However, the Privacy Software may not be owned, controlled or modified by any person. No one can control the platform - this applies to the founders, developers and owners of TORN, the complaint states.

Last year, the US Treasury introduced Tornado Cash into"blacklist", stating that the platform is used for money laundering and terrorist financing. The developer of the Tornado Cash protocol, Alexey Pertsev, was arrested in the Netherlands. In April it became known that Pertsev would be placed under house arrest until the investigation was completed.