If you still have an X account, come join us on spaces in 5 minutes to discuss what's happening in Tornado Cash.

If you can't, here’s everything you need to know.

Storm is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to violate sanctions, as well as operating an unlicensed money transmitting business (MTB), facing more than 40 years in prison for developing software.

Early discussions focused on whether a non-custodial software tool like Tornado Cash can qualify as an MTB, as it never held control of funds; a prerequisite for qualifying as an MTB.

But Storm will not be allowed to use these interpretations of MTB law in his defense.

"I really don't want to hear control issues, or there must be fees and 'for profit'," the judge told the defense last week. These issues "are not going to show up in this trial, because they are not."

Since the indictment, the Government has announced that it is no longer pursuing that Tornado Cash violated federal registration violations as an alleged MTB – meaning that it is no longer pursuing the theory that Tornado Cash is a financial institution.

Neither Storm, nor the defense, will be allowed to mention KYC or AML.

And what about the First Amendment? Isn’t writing code protected speech? The judge doesn’t seem to think so. Free speech and privacy rights aren’t going to be discussed.

Additionally, all witnesses are banned from using the words legal, illegal, legitimate, and illegitimate. That includes any testimony to the general legality of uses for Tornado Cash, unless they are brought up to refute the prosecution’s evidence.

The Government is closing in on the future of privacy, and defending it will be a walk on a tightrope.