Samourai Wallet co-founder hopes for pardon as Trump weighs case

United States President Donald Trump said he would look into the case of Samourai Wallet developer Keonne Rodriguez, who was recently convicted for his involvement with the crypto mixing protocol.

When asked about the case during a Monday press conference, Trump said he has “heard about” the matter and would “look at it,” opening the door for a potential pardon.

“Okay, let’s take a look at it. You know, you’ll have to tell me. I don’t know anything about it, but we’ll take a look,” he added.

Rodriguez, alongside co-founder William Lonergan Hill, was accused of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business last year, which led to their arrests in April 2024. Both men initially pleaded not guilty, arguing that Samourai Wallet was a non-custodial privacy tool.

Hill’s defense even argued that his autism diagnosis led to a type of “magical thinking” where he was convinced that the wallet’s design would protect him from legal responsibility.

However, the pair eventually reversed course earlier this year, pleading guilty to the lesser charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business in exchange for a more lenient outcome that included dropping the more serious money laundering charge.

Rodriguez, who is set to report to prison later this week, said in a recent interview appearance that he believes there’s a chance of being pardoned by Trump, whom he described as having been “touched by a DOJ that was weaponized against him.”

“I think when he sees the facts laid out on the table, he will know exactly what’s going on,” Rodriguez said.

During the interview, Rodriguez acknowledged that taking the plea deal was his only realistic option, as appealing the case is unlikely after having waived those rights under the agreement.

The plea deal effectively reduced his 25-year sentence to a five-year term tied solely to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Prosecutors also dropped the more severe charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which significantly altered the legal outcome.

Trump has issued crypto pardons

Although there’s no certainty that Trump will grant clemency, Rodriguez and Hill’s hopes aren’t without precedent. The pro-crypto president has already pardoned a number of high-profile figures since taking office.
Among them are Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao, who was pardoned in October after serving a short sentence, the co-founders of BitMEX, and Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road darknet marketplace, who had been serving a life sentence.