Trump Considers Pardon for Keonne Rodriguez
During an event on Monday in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump expressed a willingness to consider a pardon for Keonne Rodriguez, the convicted creator of the Samourai Wallet, a software designed to enhance Bitcoin transaction privacy. Addressing a question from Decrypt, Trump stated,
“I’ve heard about it, I’ll look at it,”
while acknowledging U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi‘s input on the matter. Bondi was seen taking notes on the discussion.
Background on Rodriguez’s Conviction
Rodriguez was recently sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in developing the Samourai Wallet, which allowed users to keep their Bitcoin transactions confidential without involving third-party exchanges. He is scheduled to begin serving his sentence this Friday.
The previous administration, led by President Joe Biden, prosecuted Rodriguez and his colleague William Longeran Hill, accusing them of running an illegal money transmission service and enabling criminal enterprises. While many Biden-era cases have been dropped since Trump returned to office, the Justice Department has continued to pursue the case against Rodriguez and Hill. Rather than taking their chances in court, the developers decided to plead guilty to a single charge of illegal money transmission this summer, opting to avoid a trial that could have resulted in lengthy prison terms; Rodriguez received the maximum sentence of five years, while Hill was sentenced to four.
Concerns Among Privacy Advocates
This case has raised significant concerns among privacy advocates and cryptocurrency enthusiasts, who argue that such legal actions threaten the foundational principle of financial privacy that underpins Bitcoin’s creation. The worry is that the legal precedents set by Rodriguez’s conviction, along with another high-profile case involving Roman Storm, will lead to greater challenges for developers focused on blockchain privacy.
Crypto policy groups have affirmed the importance of protecting software developers who create privacy-enhancing tools, arguing that their ability to innovate is vital for the future of cryptocurrency. In an effort to balance enforcement with innovation, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in April that federal prosecutors should exercise restraint when it comes to privacy tools in the crypto space, and similar messages were delivered at meetings with crypto policy influencers.
Rodriguez’s Skepticism and Disparities
Despite this, the DOJ’s pursuit of the case against Rodriguez has continued unabated, with prosecutors requesting the harshest penalties possible. Rodriguez, who has indicated skepticism about the likelihood of receiving a pardon, highlighted the disparities in influence and resources compared to other cryptocurrency moguls who have received clemency from Trump, such as Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. Rodriguez remarked,
“We don’t have billions of dollars. We don’t have the same type of influence people like that have.”
