Трамп рассматривает возможность помилования сооснователя Samourai Wallet, осужденного за отмывание денег Translation: Trump considers the possibility of pardoning the co-founder of Samourai Wallet, convicted of money laundering.

U.S. President Donald Trump is contemplating the possibility of granting clemency to Keonna Rodriguez, a co-founder of Samourai Wallet who has been convicted. He made this announcement during a press conference at the White House.

*»Alright, we’ll see. You know, you’ll have to tell me the story. I don’t know anything about it, but we’ll take a look,»* the politician remarked.

In November, a court handed down sentences to the creators of the cryptocurrency wallet for laundering over $237 million. Rodriguez was sentenced to five years in prison, while his colleague William Lonergan Hill received a four-year term.

According to the investigation, they «repeatedly incited, encouraged, and urged criminals» to utilize their platform for concealing illicit funds.

Rodriguez responded to Trump’s comments by expressing gratitude to the community for their support.

*»Thank you to everyone pushing Donald Trump to pardon Bill and me. Let’s see it through,»* he wrote.

Earlier, in an interview with journalist Natalie Brunell, Rodriguez expressed his belief in the possibility of a pardon if the matter is brought to the attention of the U.S. President and key officials in his administration.

*»Since Trump himself has suffered from the Justice Department being used against him as a weapon, I think when he sees the facts laid out, he will immediately understand what’s going on,»* the developer emphasized.

In 2025, the U.S. President granted clemency to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, as well as to the co-founders of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX—Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed—and the former CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao.

Rodriguez further clarified that he lost the right to appeal the court’s decision after agreeing to a plea deal with the prosecution.

*»I’m not 100% sure about it, but as far as I understand, an appeal is unlikely,»* he added.

Initially, Rodriguez and Hill denied the charges but opted for a plea bargain in July, agreeing to one count—operating an unlicensed money transfer service.

They were motivated to take this step due to the threat of facing up to 25 years in prison on two counts—conspiracy to commit money laundering (up to 20 years) and operating without a license (up to five years).

Even before the sentencing, Rodriguez expressed regret about his decision but felt he had no alternative. He feared that the judge would exclude key evidence for his defense, such as the fact that he sought legal advice prior to launching the wallet.

According to *The New York Times*, since Trump took office, the SEC has suspended, terminated, or closed around 60% of cases against the cryptocurrency industry.

Journalists noted lawsuits against major players like Ripple and Binance, adding that the regulator «is no longer pursuing any cases against firms connected» to the U.S. President.

Commission representatives categorically deny any political motivations. They state that the change in direction is purely due to legal and political considerations. The publication also found no evidence of direct pressure from the White House on the SEC.

Experts criticized the framing of the issue itself. Alex Thorne, head of research at Galaxy Digital, described the connection between the shift in stance and Trump’s personal interests as a «dishonest interpretation.» He believes that the new approach is a natural response to the «absolutely insane» aggressive policies of the previous administration.

It is also noteworthy that an investigation by the *Financial Times* revealed that the President’s family has profited over $1 billion from cryptocurrency projects.