210 - Keonne Rodriguez: Going to Prison for Privacy

Gabriel Custodiet speaks with Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of the trendsetting Bitcoin wallet Samourai Wallet. Keonne was inexplicably arrested in a violent and oppressive military-style raid of his property in April of 2024. He was charged with the bizarre accusation of conspiracy to run an unlicensed money transmitter despite never transmitting money. Keonne tells his story and explains how he has been condemned to prison and stripped of his constitutional rights.

 

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TIMELINE
00:00 – Introduction
2:05 – Why did Keonne Rodriguez decide to talk?
4:00 – Samourai Wallet was following all legal guidelines—why??
5:50 – Keonne explains the oppressive military-style raid of his house
12:24 – What is 19 months of house arrest like?
17:30 – Southern District of New York
19:00 – Explanation for guilty plea
29:00 – BillAndKeonne.Org
32:45 – All developers are vulnerable: Monero, Bitcoin, etc.
35:20 – The creators of the tools are guilty – Soviet-Style tyranny
36:50 – P2P fund no longer the place to donate
37:40 – OXT and its future
39:20 – The judge and court experience
45:40 – Common misunderstandings
48:30 – Final thoughts

 

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio