Historical retrospective · Policy
U.S. sanctions on Tornado Cash prompted a debate over code and control
In August 2022 the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Tornado Cash-related addresses, prompting litigation and scrutiny of how sanctions law applies to decentralized software.
The case raised questions about the line between software, governance, smart contracts and people who control or use them.
The action became a major reference point for privacy tools and protocol governance.
Sanctions designations, later court rulings and current obligations must be evaluated by date and jurisdiction; this page is historical context, not legal advice.
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