Trending Now - Samourai Wallet Co-founder Seeks Bitcoin Community's Support for Legal Costs

WHO:

NewsBTC - Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of Samourai Wallet, and William Lonergan Hill, co-founder of Samourai Wallet.

Cointelegraph - Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill.

WHAT:

NewsBTC - Rodriguez is seeking donations from the Bitcoin community to cover over $2 million in legal debt.

NewsBTC - Rodriguez is currently serving a 60-month sentence in federal prison.

NewsBTC - Rodriguez and Hill pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

NewsBTC - Rodriguez and Hill forfeited approximately $6.37 million in fees earned from Samourai Wallet operations.

NewsBTC - A petition supporting a pardon for Rodriguez had gathered approximately 15,955 signatures.

NewsBTC - Rodriguez's Bitcoin donation address shows around $65,000 in donations.

WHERE:

NewsBTC - Rodriguez is incarcerated at FPC Morgantown, a federal prison camp in West Virginia.

NewsBTC - Samourai Wallet served over 100,000 users and processed more than $2 billion in Bitcoin transactions.

WHEN:

NewsBTC - Rodriguez was arrested in April 2024, pleaded guilty in July 2025, and was sentenced in November 2025.

NewsBTC - President Trump indicated he would review Rodriguez's case in December 2025.

NewsBTC - The Bitcoin 2026 conference occurred without action on Rodriguez's pardon.

WHY:

NewsBTC - Rodriguez's appeal for donations is due to financial pressure from lawyers and a court-imposed fine of $250,000.

NewsBTC - Rodriguez accepted a plea deal to avoid the risk of significantly longer prison time and higher legal costs.

HOW:

NewsBTC - Rodriguez directed donation requests to a specific Bitcoin address and mentioned private alternatives through his wife's X account.

(UPDATED May 7, 2026 15:47 UTC)

Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of Samourai Wallet, is currently serving a 60-month sentence in federal prison and is seeking donations from the Bitcoin community to cover over $2 million in legal debt. Along with fellow co-founder William Lonergan Hill, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and has forfeited approximately $6.37 million in fees earned from their operations. A petition supporting a pardon for Rodriguez has gathered around 15,955 signatures, while his Bitcoin donation address shows about $65,000 in contributions as he directs requests for help through his wife's X account.