The "What is Money?" Show The War on Privacy, Bitcoin, and Personal Freedom w/ Keonne Rodriguez
Jan 30, 2026
Keonne Rodriguez, software developer and co‑founder of Samurai Wallet known for building noncustodial Bitcoin privacy tools. He recounts the FBI raid, the design and launch of Whirlpool coinjoin for mobile privacy, and the legal battle over whether building privacy-preserving code can equal criminal intent. Short, tense, and focused on tech, law, and personal freedom.
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Terrifying Pre-Dawn FBI Raid
- Keonne Rodriguez woke to an armored vehicle using a camera crane pointed at his bedroom during an early-morning FBI raid.
- He and his wife were ordered outside with guns and lasers aimed at them while agents searched the house.
Building Samurai Wallet On Principles
- Samurai Wallet launched in 2015 as a mobile, non-custodial Bitcoin wallet focused on spending and privacy.
- Keonne and Bill built it without initial legal counsel, relying on FinCEN guidance that non-custodial wallets are not money transmitters.
Mobile CoinJoin For Cash-Like Privacy
- CoinJoin (Whirlpool) lets multiple users collaboratively construct transactions to obscure linkages on the public Bitcoin ledger.
- Samurai's innovation was bringing this privacy-preserving, non-custodial coinjoin to mobile users.