Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of Bitcoin privacy tool Samourai Wallet, spent Christmas Eve documenting his first day inside a US federal prison, offering a personal account as a crypto developer now serving a five-year sentence.
In a letter shared by The Rage, he described the experience of surrendering himself to the prison camp. The account detailed the intake process, which included searches, medical clearances and the transition into prison housing.
Rodriguez also described the emotional weight of leaving his family days before Christmas.
“While not at all comfortable, it is manageable. While I rather be at home with my wife and family, there are far worse places I could have ended up,” Rodriguez wrote. “I am thankful that all the prisoners here are respectful and downright friendly.”
The letter, dated Wednesday, Christmas Eve, marked the developer’s seventh day at the facility. He said that he was scheduled to receive his wife as his first visitor on Christmas Day.
Rodriguez’s imprisonment has become a focal point for debates over the criminal liability of open-source developers, particularly those working on crypto privacy tools. The case has been closely watched alongside the prosecution of Roman Storm, a co-founder of Tornado Cash, raising questions about whether writing and maintaining code can be treated as a criminal offense when third parties use that software for illicit activity.
Rodriguez celebrated Christmas early this year before going to prison. Source: Keonne Rodriguez
Community members sign petition for pardon
Rodriguez was sentenced on Nov. 19 on charges stemming from his involvement in the crypto mixing protocol.
A petition calling for clemency for Rodriguez had gathered over 12,000 signatures, reflecting sustained concern among privacy advocates and open-source developers. The petition described Rodriguez’s case as “a chilling attack on free speech and innovation.”
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US President Donald Trump said he would review the case of Rodriguez, signaling a potential opening for clemency, after he started serving his sentence.
Speaking to reporters on Dec. 16, Trump said he had heard about the case and would “take a look at it,” adding that he was not familiar with the details but was open to reviewing it.
In a social post on Saturday, Rodriguez publicly called on Trump to grant a pardon, framing his prosecution as an example of “lawfare” carried out under the previous administration.
He argued that his case involved no direct victims and accused regulators and judges of targeting him as part of an anti-innovation agenda.
While Trump has not commented further on the request, his statement has kept the possibility of executive clemency in focus as the developer began serving his sentence.
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