Samourai Co-Founder Seeks Bitcoin Donations From Prison

Keonne Rodriguez, co‑founder of the Samourai Wallet project, posted a public appeal from FPC Morgantown on May 6 asking Bitcoin holders to donate to the address bc1qtjjcvn98wh7dfd55m8kxhjcfexanttwt8gtan8 to help cover more than $2 million in legal fees and a $250,000 court fine. He noted private transfer options are available through his wife Lauren’s account.

Rodriguez is five months into a 60‑month federal sentence after surrendering to custody in December 2025 following a guilty plea to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money‑transmitting business. He had been released on a $1 million bond prior to sentencing. His co‑founder, William Lonergan Hill, also pleaded guilty in 2025 and received a four‑year prison term. The two forfeited about $6.37 million in earned fees and face a larger money judgment, and Rodriguez wrote that lawyers and the Department of Justice are pressing for payment.

Federal prosecutors alleged Samourai processed more than $237 million in criminal proceeds in the criminal case. A seizure warrant led to the removal of Samourai’s mobile application from the U.S. Google Play Store. The wallet has handled more than $2 billion across over 100,000 users since its 2015 launch, and the project’s original code continues to circulate through an Ashigaru fork.

Rodriguez had briefly expressed hope for a presidential pardon after comments from former President Donald Trump in late 2025 indicating he would consider a request and “I’ll take a look at it.” Rodriguez wrote that pardon prospects now appear “very low,” and added, “I am simply a federal prisoner without money, power, or influence, and I will serve my full sentence.”

The appeal has drawn attention inside the cryptocurrency community and sparked discussion about whether developers of non‑custodial privacy software can be held criminally liable for users’ transactions. Prosecutors linked Samourai to alleged criminal proceeds while supporters of the wallet have argued the software’s privacy features served legitimate users.