Developer of Bitcoin App Samourai Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

Keonne Rodriguez, a developer of the Samourai Wallet app, has been sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in operating an unlicensed money transmitter. In addition to the prison term, he was fined $250,000. The Samourai Wallet provided users with the ability to obscure their Bitcoin transactions by mixing them with those of other users, a function that authorities allege facilitated illegal activities. The U.S. government shut down the app last year and arrested both Rodriguez and fellow developer William Lonergan Hill. Rodriguez is scheduled to begin his prison term on December 19, while Hill's sentencing is set for November 19. The case highlights ongoing regulatory scrutiny faced by cryptocurrency services, particularly those enabling privacy features that could be exploited for criminal purposes.

Source 🔗