Recently, I’ve learned that several U.S. Congress members who publicly support Bitcoin seem oblivious to the ongoing legal proceedings involving Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill from Samourai Wallet. As someone deeply invested in Bitcoin, I find this baffling. These cases, along with the prosecutions of Roman Sterlingov—linked to Bitcoin Fog—and Roman Storm and Roman Semenov from Tornado Cash, are crucial for the future of Bitcoin’s private and sovereign use.
Consider the case of Roman Storm, who is currently imprisoned without the backing of concrete evidence. His conviction rests solely on claims made by Chainalysis, a blockchain analysis firm. The developers of Samourai Wallet and Tornado Cash face charges under money laundering laws for creating software that is entirely self-custodial, with no ability to control users’ funds.
What’s truly perplexing is that these crucial issues aren’t on the radar of any Congressperson professing a pro-Bitcoin stance. It seems incredible that there isn’t a louder dialogue around these prosecutions.
We need to change this narrative. I urge every U.S. citizen reading this to use the template below, adjust it as necessary, and send it to your local congressperson—especially if they claim to support Bitcoin publicly.
This piece represents my opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
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[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
[Email]
[Phone Number]
[Date]
The Honorable [Congressman/Congresswoman’s Name]
[Office Address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
Dear [Congressman/Congresswoman’s Name],
As a concerned resident of [your State], I’m reaching out regarding the legal challenges facing open-source software developers in the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency sphere. Developers like Keonne Rodriguez, William Hill of Samourai Wallet, and Roman Storm and Roman Semenov of Tornado Cash face accusations related to money laundering conspiracies. However, their work mainly involved producing open-source software available to everyone.
Decentralized networks, such as Bitcoin, offer unprecedented freedom to transact using only open-source software, without any external control over individual transactions. This technological architecture is critical for personal privacy and financial autonomy. In these cases, software developers have simply provided tools for privacy protection—nothing more.
Every American, by law, has a right to personal privacy, including financial privacy, as reinforced by the Bank Secrecy Act. Yet, blockchain’s design necessitates transparent transactions for network integrity, potentially exposing sensitive financial details.
This exposure to public scrutiny is not just a privacy concern—it can also threaten personal safety. There’s a growing number of physical crimes against Bitcoin holders as the cryptocurrency increases in value.
Therefore, tools like Samourai Wallet and Tornado Cash that maintain user privacy are vital. They operate without outside control over transactions, meaning no existing regulations apply to them as they would to regulated financial institutions.
In a separate yet related issue, Roman Sterlingov has been convicted of operating a custodial mixing service. Despite the custodial nature of Sterlingov’s alleged service, the evidence linking him to its operation is largely circumstantial. More details about this are available from his attorney, Tor Ekeland.
I urge you to examine these cases thoroughly and address the injustice stemming from the misapplication of financial regulations to open-source software developers, along with the careless disregard for the evidence standard required in criminal proceedings.
[If applicable] As someone who publicly supports Bitcoin, your action on these matters is crucial for preserving the freedom associated with cryptocurrencies. I hope your Congressional actions align with your stated positions on Bitcoin policy.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
