Roman Storm, the founder of the anonymity-focused cryptocurrency protocol Tornado Cash, has accused Google and OpenAI of assisting North Korea's nuclear program.
Storm, who was found guilty in August 2025 of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business, pointed out the flawed logic in the case brought against him by the U.S. Department of Justice.
On social media, Storm noted that a recent investigation into North Korean IT professionals revealed their continued use of ChatGPT for writing text and programming, as well as Google Gemini for forging documents and altering images.
Storm suggested that, following the same logic the Department of Justice applied against him, these two companies should be held responsible for the actions of these malicious actors, as they provide these services and profit from their subscriptions.
"This is precisely the theory behind the 'United States v. Roman Storm' case: you create a neutral tool, malicious actors misuse it, and the developer faces prosecution instead of the criminals," he stated on social media.
"If this logic is absurd when applied to Google and OpenAI—it is also absurd when applied to Roman Storm.
You should prosecute the criminal, not the tool's creator. Writing code is not a crime," he emphasized.
The verdict in the Storm and Tornado Cash case has set a negative legal precedent in the United States, where software developers can be held liable for code used for illegal purposes. He believes large companies should face similar consequences for the use of their products.
"So let's be consistent: subpoena every Google and OpenAI employee. Scour their text messages for the slightest indication they knew their tools were being used by the DPRK. Charge them under IEEPA and sentence them to 20 years in prison," Storm concluded.
The Digital Asset Market Transparency Act, known as the CLARITY Act, introduces safeguards for software developers to shield them from potential illegal use of their protocols; however, even though a vote is scheduled on a motion to proceed to final consideration of the bill, its chances of passage remain low due to current challenges and the approaching midterm elections.
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