Trump to Review Pardon for Samourai Wallet Co-Founder
Trump said during a Q&A session with journalists at the Oval Office that he will review a potential pardon for Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of privacy-focused bitcoin wallet Samourai Wallet.
What's the scoop?
- Rodriguez's Sentence: Rodriguez received a five-year prison sentence last month for running Samourai Wallet, being convicted for “operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.”
- Trump Comments: "I've heard about it, I'll look at it," he told reporters. "I don't know anything about it, but we'll take a look." While the President's comments at the journalist Q&A sessions were far from committal, Trump has been known to make his pardon decisions quickly.
- Prior Pardons: Trump's comment follows his recent pardons of Ross Ulbricht, creator of Silk Road, and former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao.
- Rodriguez's Response: Rodriguez posted on X thanking Trump for considering the case and noting similarities to a weaponized DOJ, with four days left until he enters federal prison.
Bankless Take:
If Trump ends up pardoning Rodriguez, it would go a long way toward undoing the impression that Trump’s administration is ending all Biden-era crypto enforcement actions, except those related to privacy. As I wrote about a few weeks back, Trump’s DOJ has allowed enforcement to continue against Tornado Cash and Samourai wallet, despite both from the “Biden era” — giving the impression that the administration is quietly against privacy. Further, given the fact that Rodriguez was charged for “operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business,” despite a Brady letter from FinCEN saying Samourai did not qualify as one, and thus didn’t need to get a license, the case proves particularly tense and a pardon would go a long way toward correcting this contradiction.
David Christopher Dec 5, 2025 • 5 min read