Crypto Security Expert Sues U.S. Department of Justice Over Blockchain Code Development
Michael Lewellen, a renowned crypto security expert and lecturer at Dallas University, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), challenging what he describes as a “flawed and unjust” approach to blockchain code development.
The legal action comes in response to the government’s crackdown on crypto mixers like Tornado Cash, with federal prosecutors attempting to categorize such protocols as money-transmitting services. These legal measures have claimed that blockchain developers may be held accountable for writing code that could potentially be abused by criminals.
The crypto industry has expressed strong opposition to this interpretation of the law, arguing that holding code creators responsible is akin to blaming car manufacturers for accidents that occur on the road.
A previous ruling by a federal judge reinforced the notion that developers of decentralized protocols should not be held liable for their creations, leading to the removal of Tornado Cash from the Treasury’s sanctions list. Nonetheless, developers associated with Tornado Cash and other crypto mixers remain targets of the DOJ’s prosecutorial efforts.
“This lawsuit is about ensuring innovators can create without fear and that laws aren’t misused to hold back progress,” stated Lewellen. “For too long, the Biden administration has used a lack of clarity to scare builders away from new technology or force them to leave the USA. That needs to end.”
Lewellen’s lawsuit argues that the DOJ lacks the legal authority to prosecute software creators for allegedly operating “money-transmitting businesses,” that the crackdown violates First Amendment rights, and that the department’s actions infringe upon due process. This initiative is backed by the crypto advocacy group CoinCenter and signifies a crucial step in the industry’s fight to safeguard the right to code.
