Coin Center May Challenge US Treasury Sanctions Against Tornado Cash In Court

"By treating autonomous code as a 'person,' OFAC exceeds its statutory authority," said Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh from the Coin Center.

U.S.-based crypto policy advocacy group Coin Center said it intends to “seek administrative relief” from those affected by the Board’s Tornado Cash sanctions of Foreign Asset Control of the Treasury Department, or OFAC.

In a blog post on Monday, Coin Center Executive Director Jerry Brito and Research Director Peter Van Valkenburgh alleged that OFAC “exceeded its legal authority” in naming the crypto mixer. -Tornado Cash currency and 44 associated wallet addresses on its Specially Designated Nationals, or SDN, list on August 8. The administrators asserted that the Treasury's actions could have potentially violated the "constitutional due process and free speech rights" of U.S. residents and they were considering taking the matter to court.

"By treating autonomous code as a 'person,' OFAC exceeds its statutory authority," Brito and Van Valkenburgh said.

Analysis: What Is and What Isn't a Sanctionable Entity in the Tornado Case Cash.

By treating autonomous code as a "person", OFAC exceeds its statutory authority.https://t.co/kDjoumAhF1

According to the pair, Coin Center will first engage with OFAC to discuss the situation in addition to briefing members of Congress. The advocacy group will then help people whose funds are trapped on any of the 44 USD Coin (USDC) and Ether (ETH) addresses connected to Tornado Cash by applying for a license to withdraw their tokens. Following these actions...