President Donald Trump has indicated he is open to considering a pardon for Keonne Rodriguez, the CEO of the privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet Samourai, who was sentenced last month to five years in federal prison for operating an unlicensed money transmitter. During a press briefing on December 15th, Trump responded to a question about the case by stating, "I've heard about it. I'll look at it," and directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to review the matter.
Rodriguez, 37, and his co-founder William Lonergan Hill, 67, pleaded guilty to the charge this summer, avoiding a potential 25-year sentence if convicted at trial. Hill received a four-year sentence. Both were ordered to pay $250,000 in fines. The Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecuted the case, arguing that Samourai Wallet was not merely a privacy tool but an illegal money-transmitting business that actively facilitated criminal activity. Prosecutors presented evidence that the founders marketed their services on darknet forums and in direct messages to criminals, with Rodriguez describing mixing as "money laundering for bitcoin" in WhatsApp messages. The DOJ alleged the service processed over $237 million in criminal proceeds from activities including drug trafficking, fraud, and child exploitation.
The potential pardon has sparked a broad debate over developer liability and the future of financial privacy in cryptocurrency. Privacy advocates argue the prosecution sets a dangerous precedent that chills the development of essential privacy tools in the United States, a core innovation of blockchain technology. The case has drawn parallels to that of Roman Storm, the developer behind Ethereum-based mixer Tornado Cash, who was convicted on similar charges in August.
Trump's statement fuels speculation about a pattern of clemency for crypto figures, following his earlier pardons of former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. However, Rodriguez has expressed skepticism, noting his lack of the financial resources and influence that other pardoned individuals possessed.
The development occurs amidst ongoing congressional debates over cryptocurrency regulation, with multiple bills introduced to clarify the legal status of privacy-enhancing technologies, though none have yet become law.
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