The call for the pardon of Samourai wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill is growing louder, with Bitcoin advocates and policy groups urging President Trump to intervene before the two report to prison next year.
Rodriguez and Hill were sentenced in November to five and four years in prison, respectively, after both pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmission business. Under the plea agreement, the two only admitted to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmission business, while money laundering charges were dropped. Unless they can obtain a pardon, the two are expected to report to prison in early January 2026.
Several prominent figures in the Bitcoin community have voiced their support for the pardon, including veteran host and Bitcoin advocate Max Keiser, Bitcoin media entrepreneur Marty Bent, and Walker America, host of The Bitcoin Podcast.
Zack Shapiro from the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) advocates for a full pardon, arguing that the Samourai case misapplies federal money transmission laws to non-custodial software.
On December 2, the Bitcoin Policy Institute released a detailed argument for the pardon, stating that the case is a misapplication of federal money transmission laws, and that non-custodial tools do not fall under the framework of money transmission entities as defined by the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
From the BPI's perspective, treating Samourai developers as money transmitters erases the long-established legal distinction between software publishers and financial intermediaries. The institute further warns that allowing these convictions to stand could stifle innovation in privacy-protecting Bitcoin tools in the U.S. due to a chilling effect.
According to the BPI, "A pardon would correct the obvious misuse of federal law, maintain the long-standing distinction in financial regulation, and reaffirm that publishing non-custodial software is not—and should not be—a criminal offense."
As of the writing of this article, the petition to pardon the Samourai developers has garnered over 3,200 signatures, receiving support from the Bitcoin community and others. Walker America posted on December 2:
Max Keiser tagged Eric Trump on November 8, writing, "Eric, it's time to step it up," as the Samourai case comes into the view of key influencers in Trump's circle.
The Oregon Libertarian Party has also expressed support for the pardon and free speech, arguing that "code is speech!"
Since taking office, Trump has a notable record of issuing pardons related to cryptocurrency, including high-profile pardons for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao "CZ."
This context has led some members of the Bitcoin community to question the image effect of the pardons: a billionaire exchange founder involved in a massive compliance scandal receives a pardon, while two open-source wallet developers serve four and five-year sentences.
"If the Samourai wallet developers fail to receive a pardon for similar charges, the perception of corruption surrounding the pardon for Zhao will be even more severe. How much USD1 stablecoin from World Liberty Financial does one need to hold to get a pardon?" commented Bitcoin researcher Kyle Torpey.
Time is running out, and advocates say that developments in the coming weeks will affect not only the future of privacy-oriented development in the U.S. but also the fate of the two soon-to-be-incarcerated coders.
Related: Further, 3iQ launches $100 million fund for compounded returns in Bitcoin (BTC)
Original article: “Bitcoin Policy Institute Calls for Pardon of Samourai, Related Petition Exceeds 3,200 Signatures”
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