President Donald Trump said Monday he will review the case of Samourai Wallet co‑founder Keonne Rodriguez and hinted he might consider a pardon, injecting a new twist into a high‑profile crypto privacy prosecution. At a White House press conference on the Mexican border, Trump responded to questions about Rodriguez’s conviction by saying, “I’ve heard about it, I’ll look at it,” and added, “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.” Why the case matters - Rodriguez and fellow Samourai co‑founder William Lonergan Hill were sentenced on Nov. 19 to five and four years behind bars, respectively, after pleading guilty to operating an illegal money‑transmitting business. - The men originally faced far stiffer exposure — prosecutors charged them with conspiracy to commit money laundering (carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years) plus operating an unlicensed money‑transmitting business (up to five years), creating a combined potential of roughly 25 years. - Critics and privacy advocates argue the convictions set a dangerous precedent by holding software creators criminally responsible for how third parties use their code. Tornado Cash co‑founder Roman Storm and other privacy defenders have made similar arguments. What Rodriguez and supporters are saying - Rodriguez, who is reportedly due to begin his sentence this week, posted on X that the “continued noise” from supporters appears to be having an effect: “Thank you to everyone pushing Donald Trump to pardon Bill and me. Let’s get this over the line.” (“Bill” is William Lonergan Hill.) - In a recent interview with Bitcoin educator Natalie Brunell, Rodriguez said he likely waived his right to appeal as part of his plea deal but was not certain. He also framed his hope for executive relief in political terms, saying that because the DOJ was “weaponized” against Trump, the president will understand the “facts laid out on the table.” Why they pleaded guilty Rodriguez has said that, before sentencing, he regretted pleading guilty but feared a judge would bar key evidence — such as proof he sought legal advice before launching Samourai Wallet — from being heard in court. He also described the practical calculus behind the plea: the time, risk and legal costs of a protracted fight were prohibitive, estimating an appeal could cost an additional $7 million on top of roughly $4.5 million already spent. Context: presidential pardons and crypto Trump’s willingness to weigh a pardon comes after high‑profile clemency decisions involving crypto actors: since taking office he pardoned Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao in October and granted clemency to Ross Ulbricht, founder of the defunct Silk Road marketplace, earlier this year. Those moves have underscored how presidential intervention can reshape the outcome of controversial tech‑and‑crypto prosecutions. What this could mean A Trump review — and a potential pardon — would add to ongoing debates about criminal liability for creators of privacy tools and mixers. The case is watched closely by privacy advocates, developers and regulators because it could influence how far prosecutors can go in treating software projects as criminal enterprises when third parties misuse them. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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