Overview
Updated 4h agoThe dated sanctions history
The U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against Tornado Cash in August 2022, citing alleged use in laundering stolen digital assets. In March 2025, Treasury announced removal of the economic sanctions following its review of legal and policy issues. These are distinct events. An encyclopedia description that says only sanctioned leaves out a material later development, while a description saying the removal resolved every possible legal issue goes beyond the announcement.
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Privacy technology and enforcement claims
A mixing or privacy protocol aims to make links between deposits and withdrawals more difficult to infer. That technical purpose is separate from how particular users employ it and from the legal analysis of developers, operators, or transactions. Treasury's earlier allegations should be attributed to Treasury rather than presented as a complete judicial finding about every user. Privacy functionality can have legitimate motivations while also attracting enforcement attention over illicit use.
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What delisting does and does not mean
The March 2025 notice concerns the economic sanctions action described there. It is not a blanket authorization for transactions with otherwise sanctioned persons, nor a determination of every criminal or civil proceeding connected to related conduct. Legal status can change and depends on the actor, jurisdiction, and transaction. A useful historical article separates protocol mechanics, administrative designation, court proceedings, and individual cases, using dated records for each rather than collapsing them into one permanent label.