PANews reported on January 21 that, according to The Block, the Solana Institute for Policy Studies has publicly called for stronger legal protections for software developers following the Roman Storm case. The institute warned that the guilty verdict against Storm, the developer of Tornado Cash, is not an isolated incident, but rather a test of whether the United States continues to support open-source innovation. Storm was convicted of illicit money transfers last August, but the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on money laundering and sanctions-related charges.

Meanwhile, progress has been made on the legislative front. The latest bill from the Senate Banking Committee includes provisions protecting software developers, incorporating the "Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act." This bill clarifies that non-custodial software developers who do not control user funds should not be considered money transfer institutions, thus providing them with a clear legal safe harbor. The institute's director called this a major highlight and victory for the bill.