Trump "considering" to pardon Samourai developer: A debate that shakes the principles and human emotions of the crypto industry

The U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly stated that he has taken note of the case involving Bitcoin privacy wallet Samourai Wallet developer Keonne Rodriguez and has said he will “study” whether to grant a pardon. He has instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the relevant request.

Rodriguez was convicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for developing Samourai Wallet, which was deemed to constitute illegal money transmission, and was sentenced to 5 years of federal imprisonment last month. He is scheduled to report to prison this Friday.

01 Presidential Intervention

Trump’s involvement in the Samourai Wallet developer case occurred amid ongoing calls from the crypto community. In his statement, he used the word “study” and directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the pardon request.

The Bitcoin Policy Research Institute released a detailed pardon argument report on December 2, asserting that this case involves a misapplication of federal money transmission laws.

The institute pointed out that non-custodial tools do not fall under the framework of money transmission institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act. Viewing the Samourai developer as a money transmitter erodes the long-established legal distinction between software publishers and financial intermediaries.

02 Case Background

Samourai Wallet is a privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet, with core features called “Whirlpool” and “Ricochet.”

“Whirlpool” uses CoinJoin technology to mix Bitcoins from different users, making it difficult to trace the original source of specific Bitcoins. “Ricochet” adds extra steps between sending and receiving addresses to further obfuscate the flow of funds.

Between 2017 and 2024, over 80,000 Bitcoins were transacted through these services, valued at over $200 million at the time.

03 Legal Controversy

The U.S. Department of Justice accused Samourai Wallet of facilitating transactions totaling over $237 million, with proceeds derived from drug trafficking, dark web markets, cyber intrusions, scams, hired killings, and child pornography sites.

Although Samourai never actually controlled the mixed Bitcoins, the court found that its servers coordinated all Whirlpool transactions, which is equivalent to transferring funds on behalf of clients without authorization.

In July 2024, Rodriguez and co-founder William Lonergan Hill pleaded guilty to one count of operating an unlicensed remittance business.

Under the plea agreement, more serious money laundering charges were dropped in exchange for guilty pleas on the lesser charge of unlicensed remittance business. Both also agreed to jointly forfeit nearly $238 million in assets.

04 Developer Dilemma

Rodriguez was sentenced to 5 years in prison in November, while Hill received a 4-year sentence. Hill, who has autism and is 67 years old, received a reduced sentence.

Unless granted clemency, both are expected to report to prison in early January 2026.

The Bitcoin Policy Research Institute warned that allowing these convictions to stand could create a chilling effect in the U.S., stifling innovation in privacy-preserving Bitcoin tools.

05 Industry Impact

The Samourai case has sparked widespread concern in the crypto industry regarding developer responsibility. Other privacy-focused wallet developers have quickly distanced themselves from similar features.

Wasabi Wallet and Sparrow Wallet have blocked U.S. users and completely removed their mixing features.

In August 2025, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galleotti stated, “Simply writing code without malicious intent does not constitute a crime.” However, this guidance came too late for the Samourai developers.

06 Community Support

A petition calling for clemency for the Samourai developers has garnered over 3,200 signatures. Several prominent Bitcoin community figures have voiced support for a pardon.

Among them are veteran host and Bitcoin advocate Max Keiser, Bitcoin media entrepreneur Marty Bent, and “The Bitcoin Podcast” host Walker America.

Walker America stated on December 2, “If President Trump truly wants the U.S. to become the world Bitcoin capital, then our government should not unjustly imprison Bitcoin developers.”

07 Policy Signals

Since taking office, Trump has a record of issuing pardons related to crypto, including high-profile clemencies for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and Binance founder Zhao Changpeng.

This background has led some members of the Bitcoin community to question the symbolic effect of a pardon: a billionaire exchange founder involved in major compliance scandals receives clemency, while two open-source wallet developers serve prison time.

Pardoning the Samourai developers is seen as an opportunity to restore legal clarity. The BPI believes, “A pardon would correct the obvious misapplication of federal law, preserve the long-standing distinctions in financial regulation, and reaffirm that releasing non-custodial software is not—and should not be—a criminal offense.”

Regulation of crypto mixing services remains a complex and evolving area, and legal characterizations of developers could have far-reaching impacts on technological innovation and privacy protections.

Future Outlook

Inside the White House Oval Office, Trump’s aides are reviewing over 3,200 signed petitions and the legal analysis report from the Bitcoin Policy Research Institute. The fax machine at the Attorney General’s office has just received a pardon application submitted by the family of the Samourai Wallet developer.

Outside the window, a light snow covers Washington D.C. The experts at the Bitcoin Policy Research Institute wrote on the last page of their report: “Code is speech, not a tool for crime.”

The fate of the two developers not only concerns their personal freedom but will also serve as a barometer of the U.S. government’s attitude toward privacy innovation in cryptocurrency.