#比特币2026年行情展望 The Tornado Cash case is reshaping the legal landscape of the crypto industry, and the story is much more complex than you might think.

**Key Turning Points in the Legal Battle**

OFAC initially wanted to sanction Tornado Cash as an "entity" and seize the smart contract as "property." The court’s response was a slap in their face: open-source code is speech, not property. This ruling is significant for the industry—it means code is protected under freedom of expression.

However, the DOJ’s criminal charges took a different approach. They didn’t focus on whether the code is property but instead targeted the developers themselves: Are you "operating" a money transfer business? Do you know this tool is being used for money laundering? That’s the real attack angle.

Jury disagreements highlight the core issue—technology is too complex, and responsibility boundaries are blurry. Developers relinquished control of the code, but should users’ misuse be their responsibility? There’s no simple answer to this.

**Industry Chill**

The most immediate impact is that open-source developers are now considered high-risk professionals. Releasing a privacy tool, even with a disclaimer of no responsibility for how it’s used, could still lead to legal action. Many have been scared off from developing in DeFi and privacy sectors. Samourai Wallet was affected by similar risks.

Ironically, adoption of Zcash and Monero is actually increasing—users think, "Since centralized platforms are subject to censorship, I might as well use true privacy coins." Of course, this comes with the cost of these coins facing stricter scrutiny. The SEC’s investigation into Zcash in 2026 ended in acquittal, but that doesn’t mean the risks are gone.

**Clear Political Colors**

The Republican side leans toward protecting innovation, while Democrats emphasize the need for financial regulation. This case has become a symbolic battle of "surveillance state vs. personal privacy"—far beyond just legal issues, it’s an ideological struggle.

**Current Deadlock**

As of January 2026, the Tornado Cash protocol is still operational—it can’t be shut down. Over $2.5 billion in transactions have been processed. The deadlock charges against Storm may be reconsidered; Semenov is still at large, Pertsev is in custody. Different rulings from the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits suggest this case might go all the way to the Supreme Court.

Overall, this case has indeed reshaped the legal framework for decentralized technology, but what responsibilities developers should bear remains a tangled mess.