Trump Considers Pardon for Samourai Wallet Developer Keonne Rodriguez
President Donald Trump has expressed openness to exploring a pardon for Keonne Rodriguez, the developer of Samourai Wallet, a Bitcoin privacy tool. Trump has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to review Rodriguez's case.
Rodriguez was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to operating an illegal money transmitter, alongside co-defendant William Longeran Hill, who received a four-year sentence. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Samourai Wallet operated as an illegal money transmitter. Both Rodriguez and Hill avoided a trial that could have resulted in up to 25 years in prison.
Despite earlier Trump DOJ dismissals of Biden-era cases, actions against Rodriguez and Hill have persisted after Trump's return to office. Privacy advocates have voiced concerns that this case could chill the development of crypto privacy tools. They also cite related issues faced by developers of Ethereum tools, such as Roman Storm.
In April, DOJ deputy Todd Blanche advised prosecutors to avoid targeting crypto privacy tools, and a senior DOJ official later indicated an intention not to prosecute decentralized software developers. Nevertheless, prosecution in the Rodriguez/Hill case has continued.
Rodriguez has expressed skepticism about obtaining clemency, noting the disparity in resources and influence compared to high-profile figures who have received pardons, such as cryptocurrency exchange CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ). He stated that they do not have comparable influence or resources.
