DOJ Official States 'Well-Intentioned' Developers Not Liable for Third-Party Misuse Following Tornado Cash Co-Founder's Conviction

Justice Department's New Stance: The DOJ is easing its approach towards developers of decentralized platforms for cryptocurrencies, stating that writing code without criminal intent is not a crime.

Protection for Developers: Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti emphasized that developers of neutral tools should not be held liable for misuse by others, advocating for prosecution of the actual offenders instead.

Focus on Bad Actors: The Criminal Division will continue to target individuals exploiting technologies for illegal purposes while fostering innovation in the cryptocurrency space.

Recent Legal Context: The remarks follow the conviction of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, highlighting ongoing debates about the responsibilities of software developers in the crypto industry.