Trump considers pardoning Samourai developer! Are privacy tools a crime or a contribution?

President Trump stated that he is willing to consider pardoning Samourai Wallet developer Keonne Rodriguez and has instructed the Department of Justice to investigate the request. Rodriguez was sentenced to five years in federal prison last month for participating in the creation of Samourai Wallet and is scheduled to report to federal prison this week. This case starkly contrasts with Trump’s October 2023 pardon of Binance founder CZ, sparking questions about fairness.

Comparison of the Five-Year Sentence for Samourai Developer and CZ

Keonne Rodriguez and his colleague William Lonergan Hill were indicted last year during Joe Biden’s administration for operating an illegal remittance business and aiding criminal activities. Samourai Wallet is a tool that allows Bitcoin users to protect transaction privacy by obfuscating transaction paths through CoinJoin technology, making it difficult for external observers to trace fund flows. The Department of Justice believes this privacy feature is exploited by criminals, constituting money laundering and illegal remittances.

If tried, these software developers could face up to 25 years in prison. This summer, they pleaded guilty to charges of operating an illegal remittance business. Rodriguez was sentenced to a maximum of five years, and Hill received four years. This sentencing has sparked significant controversy within the crypto community because neither was directly involved in money laundering or criminal activities; they merely developed an open-source software tool.

Compared to CZ’s case, the sense of injustice is even more pronounced. As the founder of Binance, CZ’s exchange was heavily fined by the U.S. Department of Justice for anti-money laundering violations, and CZ himself pleaded guilty and was sentenced. However, Trump pardoned him in October 2024. Earlier this year, CZ’s cryptocurrency exchange received a $2 billion investment from a state-owned enterprise in the UAE, in the form of USD1, a stablecoin developed by Trump’s family’s crypto platform, World Liberty Financial. This business connection makes CZ’s pardon appear even more political.

Rodriguez recently told Decrypt, “We are not CZ. We don’t have billions of dollars, nor do we have their influence.” This statement reflects the widespread dissatisfaction in the crypto community: judicial fairness seems to depend on wealth and political influence rather than the merits of the case. When billionaires are pardoned for commercial interests, developers who contribute to Bitcoin privacy face five years in prison. This contrast raises questions about the fairness of Trump’s crypto policies.

Comparison of the Samourai and CZ Cases

Charges: Samourai developers accused of illegal remittance vs CZ’s exchange fined for AML violations

Sentencing: Rodriguez sentenced to 5 years, Hill to 4 years vs CZ fully pardoned

Political ties: Samourai has no political or business connections vs CZ’s Binance invested USD1 by Trump’s family with $2 billion

Resource disparity: Rodriguez claims to have no resources or influence vs CZ’s billions of dollars in wealth

The Chilling Effect of Privacy Tool Development

This case has garnered particular attention from privacy advocates and long-term cryptocurrency users, who fear that the conviction of Roman Storm, the developer of Tornado Cash on Ethereum, and similar cases could create a chilling effect on the development of blockchain privacy tools. Supporters argue that Bitcoin’s original purpose was to enable private online transactions, and even under a crypto-friendly Trump administration, federal authorities continue to actively undermine this feature.

Crypto software developers believe that protecting their ability to create privacy tools like Samourai is crucial, as it relates to the essence of cryptography. Major crypto policy groups have also expressed support for this case, emphasizing its importance. Privacy is not synonymous with crime, just as cash transactions do not imply illegal activity. Privacy technologies like CoinJoin exist to protect ordinary users’ financial privacy and prevent transaction records from being publicly monitored.

The Trump Department of Justice seems to recognize the importance of privacy software to the crypto industry. In April, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche directed federal prosecutors to cease prosecuting crypto privacy tools. Several months later, a senior DOJ official stated at a crypto policy leadership meeting that the department would no longer prosecute decentralized software developers. However, during this period, DOJ continued to pursue charges against Rodriguez and Hill and pressured federal judges to impose the maximum sentences.

This disconnect between policy and enforcement has raised questions: Is the Trump administration’s crypto-friendly stance merely superficial? Why is the Samourai case still proceeding with such harsh sentencing when top officials have announced they will stop prosecuting decentralized developers? This contradiction may reflect internal disagreements within the DOJ about crypto privacy or the inertia of cases initiated during the Biden era.

Last Hope Before Friday Imprisonment

Trump’s statement on Monday brought a glimmer of hope for Rodriguez, but time is extremely tight. Rodriguez is scheduled to begin serving his sentence on Friday, just days after Trump’s directive to Bondi for investigation. Presidential pardon procedures typically take weeks or even months, involving DOJ review, White House legal assessments, and final presidential approval. Completing this process in such a short time is nearly impossible.

However, Trump’s impulsive style of decision-making could create an exception. His on-the-spot instruction to Bondi in the Oval Office indicates a level of importance placed on this case that exceeds expectations. If Bondi’s investigation supports a pardon, Trump could very well sign the pardon before Friday. Such speed is rare in administrative procedures, but the Trump administration has never operated by the usual rules.

The cases of Rodriguez and Hill have become symbolic events within the crypto community. If Trump ultimately pardons them, it would be seen as a show of support for crypto privacy and open-source development. If the pardon does not happen before Friday, Rodriguez’s imprisonment will deepen community anger over judicial injustice. Regardless of the outcome, this case has exposed core contradictions in crypto regulation: the government claims to support innovation but punishes developers who enhance Bitcoin’s privacy features. The final outcome of the Samourai case will define the true face of Trump’s crypto policy.