Trump Signals Willingness to Review the Case
President Donald Trump has signaled that he is open to reviewing a pardon request for Keonne Rodriguez, the co-founder of Bitcoin privacy wallet Samourai, just days before the developer is due to report to federal prison. The comments have reignited debate over whether writing privacy-preserving code should ever be treated as a crime in the United States.
Speaking during an Oval Office event on Monday, Trump responded directly to a question about Rodriguez’s conviction, saying, “I’ve heard about it, I’ll look at it.” Turning to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was present, Trump added, “We’ll look at that, Pam,” prompting Bondi to take notes.
The exchange marks the first public indication that the White House may intervene in a case that has become a rallying point for crypto privacy advocates and open-source developers.
Five-Year Sentence for Privacy Software
Rodriguez was sentenced last month to five years in federal prison, the maximum penalty for the charge he pleaded guilty to: operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. His co-founder, William Lonergan Hill, received a four-year sentence.
Samourai Wallet was designed to allow Bitcoin users to transact privately without relinquishing custody of their funds. Prosecutors under the Biden administration argued that the software facilitated illicit activity, even though it never held user assets or acted as an intermediary.
Facing potential 25-year sentences if they went to trial, both developers accepted plea deals earlier this year.
DOJ Shift on Privacy Tools - But Not This Case
The case stands out because it continued even after the Trump Justice Department softened its stance on crypto privacy software. In April, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche instructed federal prosecutors to pull back from pursuing decentralized privacy tools. Later, senior DOJ officials publicly stated that writing open-source code without malicious intent should not be criminalized.
Despite that shift, prosecutors still pushed for maximum sentences for Rodriguez and Hill, a contradiction that has drawn sharp criticism from the crypto community.
Chilling Effect on Crypto Development
Privacy advocates argue the Samourai case - alongside the conviction of Roman Storm, a developer tied to Ethereum privacy tooling - has created a chilling effect across the industry. Developers now fear that building privacy-enhancing software could expose them to criminal liability.
Supporters emphasize that financial privacy is foundational to Bitcoin’s original purpose, and that targeting developers undermines the neutrality of code itself. Several major crypto policy organizations have publicly backed Rodriguez, calling the case a threat to innovation and civil liberties.
Skepticism Remains Over Clemency
Despite Trump’s comments, Rodriguez has expressed doubts that a pardon will materialize. In a recent interview, he pointed to the contrast between his situation and that of high-profile crypto executives who have received clemency.
“We’re not CZ,” Rodriguez said, referencing Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who was pardoned by Trump earlier this year after his exchange secured a $2 billion investment from an Emirati state-owned firm.
What Happens Next
Rodriguez is scheduled to report to prison on Friday, unless executive action intervenes. Whether Trump’s review leads to a pardon or commutation remains unclear, but even the possibility has intensified scrutiny of how U.S. law treats privacy, open-source software, and crypto developers.
For many in the industry, the outcome could help define whether writing code is speech - or a crime.
