Samourai Wallet Executives Stare at 5-Year Sentence After Pleading Guilty

Key Points

1. Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill pleaded guilty to charges, with sentencing set for November 6 and 7, 2025, respectively.

2. The US Department of Justice dropped a more severe money laundering charge that carried a potential 20-year sentence, reducing it to a maximum of five years.

3. Authorities accused Samourai Wallet of knowingly enabling criminals to launder over $100M and marketing the platform as a tool for large-scale money laundering and sanctions evasion.

4. The case is part of a broader crackdown on crypto mixers, with similar charges brought against developers of other services like Bitcoin Fog and Tornado Cash.

5. The outcome of the Samourai case may influence future prosecutions of crypto privacy tools, balancing user privacy with law enforcement goals.