Forfeiture, Bitcoin, and Policy Conflicts

In this episode, I chat with Lauren Rodriguez, wife of Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of the privacy-focused Samurai Wallet, about her family’s harrowing journey through the U.S. justice system. Keonne was indicted by the DOJ and sentenced to five years in federal prison for developing non-custodial Bitcoin privacy tools. Lauren walks us through the shocking pre-dawn FBI raid, the trial that never happened, the political motivations behind the charges, and the personal toll of what she believes is a deeply unjust prosecution.

We dive into the philosophical fight for privacy, the role of open-source software, and the chilling effect this case could have on developers everywhere. If you care about privacy, Bitcoin, financial freedom, or due process, this episode is for you.

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