Samourai Wallet
A privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet and mixing service (Whirlpool, Ricochet) whose founders the U.S. DOJ charged in 2024 with running an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Prosecutors said it processed $2B+ in Bitcoin and laundered $100M+ in criminal proceeds; both founders pleaded guilty in 2025.
Also known as: Samourai Wallet, Whirlpool, Ricochet
Note: This case is debated — privacy advocates view it as a test of open-source software liability — but the founders pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitter, and prosecutors presented evidence they marketed the service to criminals.
Summary
Samourai Wallet was a privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet offering coin-mixing tools — "Whirlpool" (CoinJoin mixing) and "Ricochet" (adding hops to obscure trails). The DOJ said that from 2015–2024 it moved more than 80,000 BTC (over $2 billion), earned about $6 million in fees, and operated as an unlicensed money-transmitting business that laundered well over $100 million (prosecutors cited ~$237 million) of proceeds from darknet markets, fraud, and other crimes. [1][2]
Prosecution
Founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill were arrested in April 2024 (Hill in Portugal). Prosecutors presented messages in which Hill promoted Samourai on the darknet forum Dread to "clean dirty BTC" and Rodriguez described mixing as "money laundering for Bitcoin." Both pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business (the broader money-laundering count was dropped) and agreed to forfeit ~$237.8 million. [1][2]
Outcome
Rodriguez was sentenced to 60 months (Nov 6, 2025) and Hill to 48 months (Nov 19, 2025), each with a $250,000 fine and supervised release. [1][2]
Bracketed numbers refer to the numbered sources listed below.
People & entities involved
- Keonne RodriguezCo-founder & CEOIndividualsCo-founder and CEO of Samourai Wallet. He pleaded guilty in 2025 to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and was sentenced to five years in prison; prosecutors cited messages calling mixing 'money laundering for Bitcoin.'
- William Lonergan HillCo-founder & CTOIndividualsCo-founder and CTO of Samourai Wallet. He pleaded guilty in 2025 to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and was sentenced to four years in prison; the judge cited his age and an autism diagnosis as mitigating factors.
Sources (2)
- Samourai Wallet Co-Founder Sentenced (Rodriguez, 60 months) — Ballard Spahr / Money Laundering Watch
- Samourai Wallet CTO William Hill Sentenced to Four Years in Prison — Decrypt
See also
- Blockchain Terminal (BCT)TokensA 2017–2018 ICO (BCT tokens, ~$30M) for a 'Blockchain Terminal' — a Bloomberg-style crypto trading terminal. The SEC and DOJ said convicted ex-hedge-funder Boaz Manor secretly ran it under a fake identity ('Shaun MacDonald'), using associate Edith Pardo as a front, and lied about the product's adoption.
- Dropil (DROP)TokensAn ICO for the DROP token built around a fake 'Dex' trading bot. The SEC said it raised ~$1.9M while claiming $54M from 34,000 investors, and that the founders falsified evidence during the probe. Founders Jeremy McAlpine and Zachary Matar pleaded guilty to securities fraud (36 and 30 months).
- CluCoin (CLU)Tokens
This page was last updated on Jun 8, 2026. View revision history.