The Bitcoin Policy Institute, a non-profit organization supporting bitcoin initiatives, has launched the Peer-to-Peer Rights Fund, a project seeking to protect bitcoin’s decentralized nature from regulatory overreach. The fund’s first objective is to aid in the defense of the founders of Samourai Wallet given the relevance of the case for the industry. Peer-to-Peer Rights Funds […]
Bitcoin News
Coin Center Warns of DOJ Overreach in Tornado Cash, Samourai Wallet Cases
The recent actions by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against non-custodial crypto wallet developers have sparked controversy and concern within the cryptocurrency community. According to Coin Center, these charges mark a significant shift from previous U.S. policies regarding money transmission, potentially impacting the liberty and privacy rights of developers and users alike. Coin Center: DOJ […]
Bitcoin News
Samourai Wallet Co-Founder Keonne Rodriguez Pleads Not Guilty, Released on $1M Bail
On Monday, April 29, Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of the non-custodial bitcoin wallet Samourai, entered a plea of not guilty to accusations of operating a money transmitter and engaging in money laundering. Rodriguez secured his release by posting a million bail and will be confined to his residence in Harmony, Pennsylvania, with his movements monitored […]
Bitcoin News
‘Globalist Power Is No Longer a Moral Authority’: Amir Taaki Responds to Samourai Charges
In an era increasingly defined by surveillance and oversight, Amir Taaki stands out as a key figure in the Bitcoin movement, sounding a clarion call for crypto awareness following the indictment of Samourai Wallet. Taaki’s latest initiative, “Darkfi,” seeks to pioneer a completely anonymous platform for collaborative fundraising and distribution, posing a challenge to existing […]
Bitcoin News
Zksnacks Bars US Users from Wasabi Wallet in Wake of Samourai Indictment
In a decisive move, Zksnacks announced on Saturday that it will block all U.S. residents and citizens from accessing its bitcoin mixer, Wasabi Wallet. This policy change comes as U.S. authorities intensify their crackdown on unregulated crypto activities, spotlighting the recent indictment of Samourai Wallet founders. Wasabi Wallet Withdraws from U.S. Market to Avoid Regulatory […]
Bitcoin News
Crypto Community Loses OXT Analysis Tool Amid Legal Troubles for Samourai Wallet
After the Samourai Wallet indictment, the cryptocurrency community discovered that the Bitcoin blockchain analysis platform OXT is no longer operational, as it was acquired by the Samourai team in December 2017. On April 25, Laurentmt, a co-founder of OXT and bitcoin advocate, revealed the closure on the social media site X with the statement, “RIP […]
Bitcoin News
‘Privacy Is Not a Crime’ — Samourai Indictment Provokes Strong Reactions From Crypto Advocates
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice from the Southern District of New York brought charges against the creators of Samourai Wallet for running an unlicensed money transmission service and for engaging in money laundering activities. This development has left the cryptocurrency community in dismay, with many expressing their displeasure over the aggressive measures employed […]
Bitcoin News
Edward Snowden Defends Crypto Privacy, Criticizes DOJ for Samourai Wallet Arrests
Edward Snowden criticized the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for targeting app developers aimed at restoring financial privacy, responding to the arrest of the founders and CEO of cryptocurrency mixing service Samourai Wallet on charges related to money laundering and operating without a license. Snowden’s remarks show his ongoing support for financial privacy within the […]
Bitcoin News
US Authorities Charge Founders of Bitcoin Mixer Samourai Wallet for Laundering Over $100 Million
The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted the founders of Samourai Wallet, Keonne Rodriguez, and William Lonergan Hill, on charges of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and laundering over 0 million through illicit transactions. DOJ Indicts Samourai Wallet Founders for Allegedly Operating 0 Million Crypto Laundering Ring According to the indictment unsealed by the Southern […]
Bitcoin News
Samourai Wallet, Strike and Others Ask FinCEN to Withdraw Proposed Rules Tied to Crypto Mixing
Samourai Wallet, River, Strike, Swan, and other companies in the cryptocurrency space have sent a letter to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), commenting on the proposed rules over mixing transactions introduced in October. These companies are asking FinCEN to withdraw its proposal because it considers it inadequate for many reasons, criticizing it for being “overbroad” and including lawful activities under its scope.
Samourai Wallet Blasts FinCEN Cryptocurrency Mixing Proposed Requirements
A group of 26 companies linked to the cryptocurrency industry have sent a letter to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Treasury, commenting on the validity of the rules the institution has proposed to apply for cryptocurrency mixing transactions in October.
The letter, produced by Samourai Wallet and Ten31 and co-signed by River, Strike, Ronindojo, Swan Bitcoin, Primal, GRIID, Zaprite, Peach, Mempool Space, Upstream Data, Stakwork, Vida Global, Voltage, Coinkite, Mutiny Wallet, Standard Bitcoin Company, Satoshi Energy, Cathedra Bitcoin, Anchorwatch, Bitnob, Oshi, Battery Finance, Fold, and Start9 asks FinCEN to withdraw the rules proposed based on several reasons, calling them overbroad and telling these would interfere with valid security practices for blockchain networks.
The co-signers of the letter state that the application of these rules would “overly burden our use of such technologies in ways that would not assist FinCEN in achieving its mandate of preventing money laundering and other illicit use of money.”
The letter also comments that the proposed rules classify the practices considered by most industry actors to be lawful as mixing, encumbering the use of these measures for privacy-related objectives. In this regard, the co-signers state:
Employing these techniques to safeguard valuable digital assets is as routine and mundane and free of illicit purpose as using two-factor authentication to secure a digital wallet.
Furthermore, it argues that FinCEN does not need to impose more reporting duties on companies already reporting flagged or suspicious transactions, with this data being available on public blockchains for the institution. “Covered financial institutions should not have to become de facto law enforcement officers to make investigations easier for FinCEN,” it concludes.
What do you think about Samourai Wallet’s take on the proposal of rulemaking for cryptocurrency mixing transactions? Tell us in the comments section below.