Samourai Wallet founders to plead guilty in $100M BTC laundering case

The founders of the Bitcoin mixing app Samourai Wallet, William Lonergan Hill and Keonne Rodriguez, are set to plead guilty this Wednesday in federal court in New York.

The U.S. Department of Justice charged them with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that facilitated laundering over $100 million in Bitcoin.

The indictment alleges the app was a 'privacy' service used by criminals for large-scale money laundering and evasion of sanctions.

Hill and Rodriguez had initially pleaded not guilty, and their defense argued the founders merely created software used by others and did not handle funds themselves.

Their legal team also challenged the jurisdiction and whether the service met the legal definition of a money transmitter.

The case is part of growing regulatory scrutiny on crypto privacy tools amid concerns they enable criminal activity like drug trafficking and ransomware.

The DOJ accused the founders of enabling anonymous transactions that obscured the origins of funds.

This move comes just as the Tornado Cash trial, involving similar charges against Ethereum mixer developers, nears completion.

Prosecutors argue privacy mixers undermine transparency and facilitate criminal enterprises.

Advocates for financial privacy contend that such cases threaten the right to anonymous transactions.

Hill and Rodriguez's plea change may lead to reduced sentences, though details have not been disclosed.

This case underscores the increasing tension between cryptocurrency privacy and regulatory enforcement.

The Justice Department's pursuit of Samourai’s founders aligns with efforts to combat illicit digital asset flows and enhance traceability in crypto transactions.

According to court filings, the founders consent to plead guilty after months of investigation into their platform’s use for money laundering.

The outcome may influence how courts treat privacy-centered services and impact future crypto regulatory approaches.

At the time of reporting, BTC price was $117,549.