BTC Sessions EMERGENCY BROADCAST: Special Guest About To Make LIVE Announcement — Bitcoin Attack Happening NOW
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Dec 12, 2025 Kian Rodriguez, a software developer and co-creator of Samurai Wallet, addresses the critical state of Bitcoin privacy amidst a coordinated attack. He recounts his harrowing experience with a recent FBI raid and the ensuing charges against him, which could reshape how developers are treated under the law. Kian warns of a chilling effect on privacy tools and shares strategies to support affected families. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining open-source innovations and the implications for the Bitcoin landscape as regulatory pressures mount.
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Origins Of Samurai Wallet
- Kian Rodriguez and Bill built Samurai Wallet in 2015 to prioritize transactional privacy for people living on Bitcoin.
- They focused on spending privacy, not hodling, to protect everyday users from physical targeting.
FBI Raid And Arrest
- On April 24, 2024, Kian says 40–50 armed FBI agents raided his home with drones and an armored vehicle and arrested him.
- He was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money service business despite Samurai being non-custodial open source software.
Novel DOJ Theory Threatens Developers
- The DOJ applied a novel theory that custody isn't required to be a money transmitter, contradicting FinCEN guidance.
- Kian calls this 'regulation by prosecution' which enables criminalizing neutral, non-custodial privacy tools.