Summary:
- GitHub has republished the source code to the popular Ethereum mixer, Tornado Cash.
- However, the repositories are in ‘read only’ mode.
- The US Treasury’s OFAC had earlier clarified that sharing and copying the code was not illegal.
The source code of the popular Ethereum mixer, Tornado Cash, has been officially reuploaded to the software hosting website GitHub. Developers can once again access core repositories of the Ethereum mixer by visiting the Tornado cash page on Github. However, the repositories are in ‘read only’ mode, which means no modifications can be made.
Tornado Cash Source Code is Viewed by Many as Constituting Free Speech
Multiple crypto community members noted the unbanning and republishing of Tornado Cash source code, including Ethereum core developer Preston Von Loon, who had opposed GitHub’s move to remove the code once the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against the mixer in early August.
Mr. Von Loon and five other plaintiffs have also gone to court to challenge the US Treasury’s and the OFAC’s decision to sanction Tornado Cash. According to their analysis, Tornado Cash’s code is free speech protected by the United States constitution. Therefore, the US Treasury made an error in sanctioning and banning it.
John Hopkins Professor had Reuploaded the Code in Late August.
The concept of computer code is free speech was also part of why Matthew D. Green, a Computer Science Professor at John Hopkins University, reuploaded the Tornado Cash source code in late August.
Prof. Green also explained that banning the source code from GitHub would significantly harm the scientific and technical communities. He pointed out that the code was pivotal in teaching university students concepts related to cryptocurrency privacy and zero-knowledge technology.
US Treasury OFAC Office Has Since Clarified That Sharing Tornado Cash is Not Illegal
GitHub reuploading the source code could be the result of the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) clarifying that sharing and copying the Tornado Cash code is not prohibited.
The US Treasury’s OFAC office also clarified that all US persons are only prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the mixer. In addition, since sanctions were announced in early August, anyone with an unprocessed Ethereum transaction through the mixing service must obtain a license from the OFAC to complete it.
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