Bitcoin Policy Institute calls for Samourai pardon as petition tops 3,200
A Washington think tank and prominent Bitcoiners say jailing the Samourai Wallet developers for an “unlicensed money transmitter” conspiracy criminalizes non-custodial code.
Calls for a presidential pardon for Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill are swelling, with Bitcoin advocates and policy groups urging US President Donald Trump to intervene before the pair are due to report to prison next year.
Rodriguez and Hill were sentenced in November to five and four years in prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
Under a plea deal, each admitted only to conspiring to run an unlicensed money-transmitting business, with the laundering charge dropped. Both are due to report to prison in early January 2026, unless a pardon can be secured.