The US government has decided to ban the use of Ethereum mixer Tornado Cash. A mixer is an application that allows you to increase your privacy on Ethereum. A tool with which you can make it more difficult for people to follow your tracks on the blockchain.
“I don’t think it’s reasonable”
Ethereum developer Preston van Loon disagrees with the US government’s decision. “I don’t think it’s a reasonable decision. Tornado Cash is a tool, just like any other, that can be used for good and bad things,” said Preston van Loon opposite decrypt. For many people within the crypto industry, privacy is an important topic, making this issue touch the heart of the industry for them.
Roman Semenov, the founder of Tornado Cash, took to Twitter to announce that his Github account has been suspended as a result of the ban. Github is the code hosting platform on which Tornado Cash is built. Erik Voorhees, a prominent name in the industry and one of the first public figures in the Bitcoin world, is also white-hot. “Github is responding to the tyranny of the US sanctions list”, thus Voorhees.
Ban has no effect
Voorhees further indicates that the ban will probably have little effect. At least not the effect the US government hopes for. “I’m sure the bad guys will stop using Tornado Cash now because it’s illegal. Just like they don’t use illegal weapons, smuggle illegal drugs or launder money in any way they can. Brave American citizens are the only ones affected by this,” said Voorhees.
With that, Voorhees seems to have a good point. What stops criminals from still using Tornado Cash. Only the good citizens who want to give their privacy a boost in this way are affected by this. After all, they will be the only ones to abide by the ban.