Bitcoin Policy Institute calls for pardon for Samourai Wallet developers
Support for them is growing: petitions are gathering thousands of signatures, and the bitcoin community is demanding presidential intervention
04.12.2025 - 12:15
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3 min
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Key points:
- Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill received sentences of 5 and 4 years for conspiracy related to unlicensed money transfers.
- BPI claims that the law was misapplied and that the punishment effectively criminalizes software development.
- A petition for clemency has gathered more than 3200 signatures, and representatives of the crypto industry are actively calling on Trump to intervene.
Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill could go to prison as early as January 2026. They pleaded guilty to only one charge — conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmission business. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the money laundering charges. However, the sentences handed down (five and four years) sparked a massive reaction from the bitcoin community.
The campaign for clemency is rapidly gaining momentum. Bitcoin activists, media figures, and think tanks are demanding that the sentence be halted. Among those who have lent their support are Max Keiser, Marty Bent, and the host of the Walker America podcast. They argue that applying money transfer laws to open-source wallet developers sets a dangerous precedent.
Court sentences Samourai Wallet co-founder to four years in prison
According to the investigation, the app served as a tool for laundering criminal proceeds.
Why BPI considers the case to be flawed
The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) has published a detailed analysis arguing that the case against the Samourai Wallet developers is based on a misinterpretation of the law. According to analysts, the federal money transfer law does not apply to software that does not accept, hold, or transfer funds.
The BPI emphasizes that wallet developers are not financial intermediaries, and mixing these roles undermines the existing legal distinction between software and money services. According to BPI representatives, upholding the sentence threatens innovation in the field of bitcoin privacy tools in the United States.
Since taking office, Donald Trump has already pardoned several figures from the crypto industry, including Ross Ulbricht and Changpeng “CZ” Zhao.
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