William Hill, Chief Technology Officer of cryptocurrency privacy service Samourai Wallet, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The sentencing marks the second major penalty against the platform’s leadership this month, following co-founder Keonne Rodriguez’s five-year prison term handed down earlier in May.
The judgment concludes a significant legal battle highlighting regulatory scrutiny over cryptocurrency privacy tools and their compliance with financial transmission laws. Federal prosecutors successfully argued that Samourai Wallet functioned as a money transmission service without proper licensing, processing approximately $2 billion in transactions through its platform.
Court documents revealed the service allegedly facilitated over $100 million in money laundering transactions through its mixing services, drawing attention from multiple federal agencies. The case underscores the growing enforcement focus on cryptocurrency services that may enable financial obfuscation outside regulated channels.
Legal experts note the consecutive sentencing of both Samourai Wallet executives signals strengthened regulatory posture toward cryptocurrency privacy tools operating without proper authorization. The case establishes precedent for how financial transmission laws apply to cryptocurrency mixing services and privacy-focused wallet providers in the United States.
