Trump comments on reviewing the pardon case of Samourai developer: Cryptocurrency privacy rights迎曙光？

The U.S. President Donald Trump recently publicly stated that he has taken note of the conviction case of Bitcoin privacy wallet Samourai Wallet co-founder Keonne Rodriguez and has instructed the Attorney General to review the pardon request. Rodriguez is set to begin his five-year sentence this Friday for operating an unregistered money transmission business. This case has been viewed by privacy advocates as a bellwether for the U.S. government’s attitude toward cryptocurrency privacy tools, despite the Trump administration’s overall friendly stance on cryptocurrencies, the Department of Justice continues to push for maximum sentences for the defendants, highlighting the complex tension between law enforcement and industry policy.

White House Promise: Trump Orders Attorney General to “Review the Case”

During an event held at the White House Oval Office, President Trump responded clearly to a question from Decrypt. When asked about Keonne Rodriguez’s case, he said, “I’ve heard about this, I will review it.” He then turned to Attorney General William Barr, who was also present, and added, “Barr, let’s handle this.” Observers noted that Barr appeared to record this instruction afterward.

This brief but direct interaction has caused a significant stir in the cryptocurrency and digital privacy communities. Trump’s statement is particularly noteworthy because his administration has rescinded several criminal cases from the Biden era this year, yet the cases against Rodriguez and his colleague William Lonergan Hill have been retained and continued. The President’s intervention introduces a major variable since the developer pleaded guilty this summer. However, Rodriguez himself is not optimistic; he previously told the media that he cannot compare himself to other crypto industry giants who have received Trump pardons, admitting, “We are not CZ,” lacking billions of dollars in funding and influence.

Core Information on Samourai Wallet Developer Case

Defendant: Keonne Rodriguez ( Co-founder )

Co-defendant: William Lonergan Hill ( Co-founder )

Charges: Operating an unregistered money transmission business ( Guilty )

Sentence: Rodriguez sentenced to 5 years ( maximum penalty ), Hill sentenced to 4 years

Start of Incarceration: This Friday

Legal Risks: Facing charges with a maximum 25-year sentence if tried in court

Case Status: Despite the DOJ’s withdrawal of multiple cases, they continue to pursue this case

Review of the Samourai Wallet Case: Privacy Tool or Crime Pipeline?

To understand why this case has become a focal point, one must return to its legal roots. Samourai Wallet is a tool that allows Bitcoin users to conduct privacy transactions without transferring funds to third parties. Its core features, such as the “Whirlpool” coin mixer, aim to break the public link in transaction chains. However, during the lawsuit initiated under the previous Biden administration, the DOJ accused Rodriguez and Hill of not only operating unregistered financial services but also deliberately facilitating crimes like money laundering.

Faced with serious charges including conspiracy to money laundering and potential sentences of up to 25 years, the two developers pleaded guilty this summer to a charge of “operating an unlicensed money transmission business.” Nevertheless, the DOJ still argued before the federal judge and successfully secured the maximum five-year sentence for Rodriguez. This case, alongside the conviction of Ethereum privacy tool Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, is widely regarded as creating a significant “chilling effect” on developers of privacy-enhancing cryptocurrency tools in the U.S. Privacy advocates emphasize that transaction privacy was one of the original intents of Bitcoin’s invention, and they worry that the federal government is systematically weakening this feature.

Contradictory Policy Signals: Friendly Rhetoric and Strict Enforcement

An intriguing contradiction is that the Trump administration is seen by the industry as more friendly toward cryptocurrencies, with high-level DOJ officials signaling policy adjustments. For example, in April this year, Deputy Attorney General Todd Bratcher instructed federal prosecutors to exercise restraint when handling cases involving cryptocurrency privacy tools. Months later, senior DOJ officials assured crypto policy leaders that future prosecutions of decentralized software developers would be avoided.

However, these high-level policy signals do not seem to have directly altered the trajectory of the Samourai Wallet case. While these signals were issued, prosecutors continued to push for maximum sentences for Rodriguez and Hill, insisting on the highest penalties. This disconnect between policy rhetoric and case enforcement reveals the internal contradictions and legal uncertainties the U.S. government faces when dealing with crypto innovation, especially privacy-enhancing technologies. It reflects that even under a new political cycle, the conflict between old enforcement frameworks and emerging technological paradigms remains difficult to resolve quickly.

Cryptocurrency Political Game: Pardons as a New Tool for Influence

The Rodriguez case and its potential pardon prospects have transcended individual fate, becoming a typical example of the role of cryptocurrency in U.S. politics. Since taking office, President Trump has granted pardons to several high-profile crypto executives, most notably Binance founder CZ. These actions are interpreted as signals of friendliness toward the crypto industry and may aim to garner increasing political and financial support from the sector.

However, Rodriguez’s situation highlights the potential selectivity of such “political pardons.” As he himself stated, ordinary developers lacking vast wealth and top-tier connections find it difficult to garner the same attention as industry giants. This disparity makes pardons somewhat a tool for political capital and resource exchange rather than purely based on legal or justice considerations. The outcome of this case will test whether the U.S. government is willing to extend this “friendly stance” to a broader group of less-resourced developers, who are the true backbone of industry innovation.

The Ultimate Clash of Privacy Rights and Compliance: Developer Responsibility Boundaries?

The core legal and ethical controversy in the Samourai case concerns whether developers who create and provide privacy software tools should be held criminally responsible for illegal activities conducted by third parties using those tools. Prosecutors argue that developers knowingly continued to operate tools widely used for crime, constituting conspiracy. Defense and global developer communities contend that this would amount to holding code authors responsible for every potential use of their tools, which could stifle all key technological innovations, including privacy protections.

Cryptocurrency policy advocacy groups have issued statements emphasizing the case’s milestone significance in defining the boundaries of developer responsibility. They argue that if writing and releasing privacy code itself becomes a crime, the fundamental decentralized and censorship-resistant values of cryptocurrency could be fundamentally undermined. The outcome of this debate will not only determine the future development environment for privacy tools in the U.S. and globally but also set legal boundaries for “Web3” era technological innovation.