The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court recently ruled against the Treasury's sanctioning of Tornado Cash's immutable smart contracts, stating that such autonomous software cannot be considered property. The court emphasized that when smart contracts are immutable, they cannot be classified as property subject to sanctions. This decision is seen as a significant win for privacy advocates and blockchain developers. The court highlighted that the smart contracts in question are not capable of being owned due to their immutable nature, making them accessible to all, including sanctioned entities. The ruling also emphasized that protocols built on smart contracts, operating without human intervention, cannot be classified as services. While the court's decision overturned the sanction on Tornado Cash, the broader designation and blocked status remain in place, with the case being sent back to the district court for further review. Read more AI-generated news on: https://app.chaingpt.org/news