A New Chapter in the Tornado Cash Saga

A group of brave plaintiffs—Joseph Van Loon, Tyler Almeida, Alexander Fisher, Preston Van Loon, Kevin Vitale, and Nate Welch—aren’t backing down just yet. In a bold move, they recently filed an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, challenging the U.S. Treasury’s controversial decision to sanction their beloved cryptocurrency mixer, Tornado Cash. Yes, the same one that’s been making ripples (and some waves) since its addition to the list of sanctioned entities.

The Appeal: What’s Cooking?

In a filing dated November 13, the plaintiffs’ lawyers argued that the U.S. Treasury had “stretched [its] authority beyond recognition.” With all the flair of an overzealous magician at a child’s birthday party, the Treasury managed to make a cryptocurrency mixer vanish from legality. They contended the August ruling by a Texas federal judge was a misfire—making them feel like the kid picked last during recess. The legal doc claims the judge erred in finding that the Treasury met the requirements for designating Tornado Cash as a sanctioned entity under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Immutable and Ownerless: The Crypto Contradiction

Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. The plaintiffs emphasized that the smart contracts under Tornado Cash were