Charlyn Ho Addresses Privacy in Crypto in Wake of Roman Storm Conviction

Rikka founder Charlyn Ho was recently featured in a Magazine by Cointelegraph article about the legal implications and broader policy considerations surrounding the Aug. 6 conviction of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm.

A jury found that Storm and Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer, knowingly transmitted more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds. The conviction has been the subject of much debate and scrutiny as to whether U.S. authorities are narrowing crypto privacy rights despite a recent White House report that emphasized the importance of self-custody and individual freedoms.

In the Cointelegraph Q&A piece, Ho expressed that the conviction underscores unresolved tension, “with different stakeholders falling at different points on the spectrum of how much privacy versus how much security is acceptable.”

“Crypto purists argue that the technology exists to reduce the power of centralized authorities by enabling self-custody and peer-to-peer transfers without intervention. But at the same time, major banks have begun adopting crypto in ways that run counter to that original philosophy,” she said. “We see the same tension play out with Tornado Cash and even discussions around central bank digital currencies.”

Ho also highlighted that, while no law is written specifically for crypto privacy, “there are binding privacy laws that absolutely apply to crypto-related information. In the U.S., the complexity is that it depends on factors like the type of information, how it’s collected, how it’s used and who is collecting it.”

The full article, titled “ Can privacy survive in US crypto policy after Roman Storm’s conviction? ,” can be seen here.

As Ho’s insights underscore, Rikka is at the forefront of advising clients navigating the evolving regulatory landscape of digital assets, privacy, and security.