Crypto Shake-Up: DOJ Pulls Back from Targeting Dragonfly Over Tornado Cash Links

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has clarified that it will not pursue charges against Dragonfly Ventures over the firm’s early investment in Tornado Cash, a crypto-mixing protocol currently under legal scrutiny.

This follows earlier reports suggesting that the venture capital firm could face legal action due to its financial backing of the project in 2020. Haseeb Qureshi, co-founder of Dragonfly Ventures, confirmed the DOJ’s updated stance in a statement shared on social media platform X on Tuesday.

According to Qureshi, prosecutors acknowledged during a Monday trial session that previous claims about potential charges were inaccurate. The DOJ reportedly stated that neither Dragonfly nor its executives are targets in any ongoing investigation related to Tornado Cash.

DOJ Clarifies Position Following Courtroom Speculation

On Friday, the DOJ had publicly suggested the possibility of prosecuting Dragonfly as part of its broader probe into Tornado Cash’s activities, a statement that Qureshi described as both unusual and inconsistent with DOJ guidelines.

He emphasized that federal prosecutors are prohibited from speculating on potential third-party prosecutions in open court, particularly in front of the media.

“This type of public statement can have broader implications,” Qureshi said in his post. “It could discourage investment in blockchain and privacy-focused technologies if investors fear they may face prosecution for funding open-source development.”

He added that the DOJ’s comments initially appeared aimed at discouraging Dragonfly representatives from testifying in support of the defense in the ongoing Tornado Cash trial.

The reversal comes as Roman Storm, a co-founder of Tornado Cash, faces legal proceedings over allegations of conspiracy and violations of US sanctions laws. Prosecutors argue that the protocol facilitated illicit transactions by obscuring the origin of funds moving through its network.

Tornado Cash, like other privacy-enhancing tools, has been a point of contention between developers advocating for open-source financial privacy and regulators concerned about money laundering and sanctions evasion.

Implications for Crypto Investment and Open-Source Development

The DOJ’s decision to clarify its stance has been welcomed by members of the venture capital and blockchain communities, many of whom expressed concerns about the potential chilling effect such legal threats could have on funding privacy-preserving technologies.

Qureshi noted that since Friday, Dragonfly had received significant support from industry peers, who viewed the DOJ’s earlier comments as a risk to legitimate investment activities.

With the DOJ now stating it will not pursue Dragonfly, attention has shifted back to Roman Storm’s trial, which could reach closing arguments later this week.

The case is being closely monitored across the cryptocurrency sector due to its potential to set legal precedents for open-source development and privacy rights in digital finance.

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