Trump Says He Will 'Look At' Pardon for Samourai Bitcoin App Dev
President Donald Trump stated he is open to considering a pardon for Keonne Rodriguez, the Samourai Wallet developer sentenced to five years in federal prison for operating an illegal money transmitter. Rodriguez helped create Samourai Wallet, a privacy tool for Bitcoin transactions, but was prosecuted by the Department of Justice under both the Biden and Trump administrations. Despite the Trump DOJ dropping other cases from the Biden era, it continued pursuing Rodriguez and his colleague William Hill, who also received a prison sentence. The case has alarmed privacy advocates and crypto users, who argue that targeting developers of blockchain privacy tools undermines the core principles of cryptocurrency. Crypto policy groups have emphasized the case's significance. Although the DOJ has indicated a shift away from prosecuting decentralized software developers, it still sought maximum sentences for Rodriguez and Hill. Rodriguez, aware of other high-profile clemencies, expressed skepticism about receiving a pardon, citing his lack of wealth and influence compared to other industry figures recently pardoned by Trump.
