Trump Considers Another Controversial Crypto Pardon: CEO of Privacy-Focused Bitcoin Wallet Samourai
December 16, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated he may grant a presidential pardon to Keonne Rodriguez, CEO of Samourai Wallet, a privacy-centered Bitcoin wallet company. Rodriguez was sentenced last month to five years in federal prison on charges related to money laundering.
Background of the Case
On December 15, during a press briefing, a reporter raised the topic of Rodriguez’s conviction and potential pardon. The reporter noted that Rodriguez was heading to federal prison for creating crypto privacy software, highlighting that the case was initiated under the Biden administration but prosecuted to conviction under the current Department of Justice (DOJ). Many members of the cryptocurrency community have advocated for Rodriguez’s clemency.
When asked if he was familiar with the case or interested in issuing a pardon, President Trump replied, “I’ve heard about it. I’ll look at it. Why do you think he should be pardoned?” Following the reporter’s explanation that many in the crypto space support pardoning Rodriguez, Trump added, “We’ll look at that… you’ll have to tell me. I don’t know anything about it, but we’ll take a look.”
Charges and Conviction Details
According to a November 19, 2025, press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Rodriguez, along with William Lonergan Hill, Samourai’s Chief Technology Officer, was convicted for operating a cryptocurrency mixing service used to launder over $237 million in criminal proceeds.
The DOJ asserted that Rodriguez and Hill knowingly participated in a conspiracy operating a money transmitting business involved in the movement of illicit funds. The Samourai Wallet offered services such as “Whirlpool,” a Bitcoin-mixing platform, and “Ricochet,” a transaction obfuscation tool aimed at concealing the origins of funds linked to various criminal activities including drug trafficking, darknet marketplaces, cyber intrusion, fraud, sanctioned jurisdictions, murder-for-hire plots, and even a child pornography website.
Acting U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos emphasized that the sentences send a clear message that laundering proceeds from criminal activities—regardless of whether done through traditional fiat or cryptocurrency—will result in serious consequences. He further noted the challenges victims face in recovering stolen funds due to such money laundering services.
Evidence of Awareness and Involvement
Court documents revealed internal communications where Rodriguez described the process of Bitcoin mixing as akin to “money laundering for bitcoin.” The government also cited the promotion of Samourai’s services to darknet users and encouragement of hackers in 2020 to route stolen cryptocurrencies through Whirlpool. When hackers opted for a competing service, Rodriguez and Hill reportedly expressed disappointment.
Rodriguez, 37, based in Pennsylvania, received a five-year prison sentence, while Hill was sentenced to four years. Both were fined $250,000 and ordered to forfeit $6.37 million in criminal proceeds.
Trump’s Track Record of Crypto-Related Pardons in 2025
This potential pardon comes amid President Trump’s broader wave of high-profile clemencies in 2025. In January, he pardoned roughly 1,500 individuals linked to the January 6 Capitol events, referring to their cases as “a grave national injustice.”
Notably, Trump granted clemency to former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, who had pleaded guilty to violating the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act for failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering program. Other pardoned crypto figures include Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road darknet marketplace sentenced to life imprisonment, and BitMEX co-founders convicted on charges related to unregistered trading and AML violations.
The president also extended pardons to political figures such as former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and ex-NYPD Sergeant Michael McMahon, alongside various business and legal personalities.
Crypto Community Reacts
The consideration of Rodriguez’s pardon has sparked discussion within the cryptocurrency community, many of whom argue that privacy-focused technologies play a crucial role in protecting users’ financial autonomy. Critics of the conviction contend that penalizing developers for building privacy tools sets a worrying precedent that could stifle innovation in blockchain privacy and crypto security.
However, regulators and prosecutors maintain that money laundering facilitated through such services enables serious criminal enterprises and undermines financial integrity.
Outlook
As President Trump reviews the case, the crypto world awaits further developments regarding whether Keonne Rodriguez will join the roster of controversial clemency recipients tied to cryptocurrencies. The decision could have significant implications for how privacy technologies and crypto regulatory enforcement evolve in the United States.
Reported by Arjun Parashar, TheStreet Crypto
Reviewed by Mehab Qureshi, Senior Editor at TheStreet