On January 17, according to CoinDesk, blockchain entrepreneur Michael Lewellen filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking the court to rule that his upcoming crypto crowdfunding project Pharos does not violate undocumented money transmission laws. Lewellen alleges that the Justice Department's prosecution of crypto software developers (such as Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm and Samourai Wallet co-founder Keonne Rodriguez) violates the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, and contradicts the Justice Department's previous public statements that developers are not considered money transmitters. Lewellen's project, Pharos, is an Ethereum-based crypto crowdfunding platform that uses smart contracts to ensure the automatic return of funds to unsuccessfully funded projects and to protect donor privacy.