Recommended
Tornado Cash Code Is Back Online
2022/09/23By: C, Fiona
Tornado Cash Code has came back to GitHub’s website, but is still illegal to use the protocol for transactions.
In Brief
- GitHub has removed a ban on Tornado Cash, restoring the platform’s code and profile to its website.
- Last week, the Treasury clarified that sanctions against Tornado Cash do not apply to its code.
- Tornado Cash addresses remain sanctioned and interaction with them is prohibited by law.
The Ethereum coin mixer Tornado Cash’s code has returned to GitHub after an absence of over one month.
Tornado Cash Code Returned to GitHub
The code for Ethereum’s popular coin mixer is back on GitHub.
On August 8, the U.S. Treasury issued sanctions against Tornado Cash addresses. That led GitHub to ban the accounts of the service and its developers almost immediately.
Last week, the Treasury clarified that sanctions against Tornado Cash only apply to the coin mixer’s Ethereum addresses—not to the code behind the application itself. Those clarifications specified that although Tornado Cash transactions are prohibited, “interacting with [the] open-source code itself … is not illegal.”
GitHub presumably took notice of this of its own accord or had the update brought to its attention by the community.
At least one high-profile individual advocated for Tornado Cash’s restoration. Ethereum core developer Preston Van Loon pressed for the ban to be lifted on September 13. He noted today that GitHub has now “unbanned the Tornado Cash organization and contributors on [its] platform.”
Tornado Cash’s return to GitHub does not mean that development on the coin mixer will continue as usual. All pages under the project’s main profile are tagged as public archives—a status that could be lifted but which implies that no future development is permitted.
“It looks like everything is in ‘read only’ mode, but that is progress from an outright ban,” Van Loon noted. He urged GitHub to fully restore the account’s former status.
A separate unofficial archive of Tornado Cash’s code has been on GitHub since August 24. That archive was created by Johns Hopkins University professor Matthew Green.
Despite these developments, the future of Tornado Cash (TORN) remains uncertain. Sanctions prohibiting the use of Tornado Cash addresses are still in effect, but due to its decentralized nature, users can still access the service.
![](/mask.png)
Register now to begin your crypto journey
Download the BTCC app via App Store or Google Play
Follow us
Scan to download
- Terms & Agreement
Quick Links
Risk warning: Digital asset trading is an emerging industry with bright prospects, but it also comes with huge risks as it is a new market. The risk is especially high in leveraged trading since leverage magnifies profits and amplifies risks at the same time. Please make sure you have a thorough understanding of the industry, the leveraged trading models, and the rules of trading before opening a position. Additionally, we strongly recommend that you identify your risk tolerance and only accept the risks you are willing to take. All trading involves risks, so you must be cautious when entering the market.
The world’s longest-running cryptocurrency exchange since 2011 © 2011-2024 BTCC.com. All rights reserved