Samourai Wallet seized

[hugeblack]

The domain has been seized and the app will be removed from some play/store soon, you can still access the wallet, extract seeds and withdraw your coins but you may not be able to send transaction using the app.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/founders-and-ceo-cryptocurrency-mixing-service-arrested-and-charged-money-laundering

These charges arise from the defendants’ development, marketing, and operation of a cryptocurrency mixer that executed over $2 billion in unlawful transactions and facilitated more than $100 million in money laundering transactions from illegal dark web markets, such as Silk Road and Hydra Market; a web-server intrusion; a spearphishing scheme; and schemes to defraud multiple decentralized finance protocols.  RODRIGUEZ was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented today or tomorrow before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Pennsylvania.  HILL was arrested this morning in Portugal based on the U.S. criminal charges.  The United States will seek HILL’s extradition to stand trial in the United States.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.

[ABCbits]

So now we have less option for wallet which offer CoinJoin feature, which are

• Wasabi Wallet, which has controversy due to blacklist on it's coordinator.
• JoinMarket, which isn't very user friendly and require running full node.
• Sparrow Wallet, which is newest wallet among other options.

And this seizure also happen when they just introduced decentralized whirlpool a month ago. Government really don't want us have decent privacy.

[Zed0X]

So the crackdown continues. Developers of mixers/coinjoins should probably start settling in countries where there are no extradition treaties with the US and still with friendly crypto policies.

~
Government really don't want us have decent privacy.

But but they have laws for Data Privacy

[dkbit98]

Instead of arresting the real criminals and killers they are spending enormous amount of time trying to kill privacy and shutdown anything connected with that 

Worst thing is they are not going to stop with Samourai wallet, they will move to everything else soon, and they need money to fund their stupid wars around the world.

Meanwhile people are dumbed down with games, drugs, sports and stupid politics.

[Gurujebs]

The domain has been seized and the app will be removed from some play/store soon, you can still access the wallet, extract seeds and withdraw your coins but you may not be able to send transaction using the app.

With this move by mixers crack down by government officials, can we say that all mixers are not safe and no matter how clean the mixers, there are some people that will launder money through mixers and since the mixers doesn't have the analytics to look which coin is a bad coin or the good or since they prefer to maximize privacy, then don't care about it.

However, looking at this hunt down of mixers, the privacy around Bitcoin is dying and I think we might not have ways to legally optimize privacy with Bitcoin.

[bitmover]

Instead of arresting the real criminals and killers they are spending enormous amount of time trying to kill privacy and shutdown anything connected with that 

I really don't get why don't US government takee a closer look at the  NFT money laundry industry .

People are selling a single satoshi for 33 btc. Easy laundry.
https://decrypt.co/228084/bitcoin-epic-sat-halving-sells-over-2-1-million

[hugeblack]

And this seizure also happen when they just introduced decentralized whirlpool a month ago. Government really don't want us have decent privacy.

I hope Sparrow Wallet doesn't go too far in this direction, at least for now.
It is still possible to use decentralized whirlpool, or at least forking it. I don't think arresting the developers will stop the project.

[ABCbits]

~
Government really don't want us have decent privacy.

But but they have laws for Data Privacy

Which have some known weakness and loophole. For example, government buying citizen data from data broker.

And this seizure also happen when they just introduced decentralized whirlpool a month ago. Government really don't want us have decent privacy.

I hope Sparrow Wallet doesn't go too far in this direction, at least for now.
It is still possible to use decentralized whirlpool, or at least forking it. I don't think arresting the developers will stop the project.

I also hope such thing won't happen. After all, Sparrow Wallet is decent wallet with various feature and AFAIK the developer only focus on developing it's software.

[Stompix]

So now we have less option for wallet which offer CoinJoin feature, which are....

Let's count them again in 6 months and see if we have something to count..

I never got this part:

that executed over $2 billion in unlawful transactions and facilitated more than $100 million in money laundering transactions

so 5% were money laundering, what about the rest, the 1.9 billion, if they were unlawfully whatever that is what where they?
I never saw a bust in the news of which the police claimed they have seized 100 tones of drugs out of which 2 kilos were cocaine.

[dkbit98]

I really don't get why don't US government takee a closer look at the  NFT money laundry industry .

I am sure they are already tracking that and everything that is recorded on bitcoin blockchain, so they are not going to forget it.
They will never look at billions that are used for money laundry with constant wars around the world.
It's much better for them for people to argue and fight with each other while they are stealing and making privacy a bad thing.

I hope Sparrow Wallet doesn't go too far in this direction, at least for now.
It is still possible to use decentralized whirlpool, or at least forking it. I don't think arresting the developers will stop the project.

They already removed all connections with samourai and whirpool in latest version 1.9.0

[dkbit98]

The first hearing case against Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill was finished few days ago.
Only one of developers Rodriguez was present in the court, and other one is still in Portugal and didn't respond to extradition request from the US government.
They are planning to file a motion based on letter from two US Senators, and Rodriguez will remain under house arrest until next hearing on September 4.
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/legal/bitcoin-privacy-on-trial-samourai-developers-first-court-hearing-recap

[dkbit98]

US Government has agreed to release Samourai Wallet founder William Lonergan Hill known as TDev on bail, according to a letter filed on July 3rd.
His defense requested that he should be released to his home in Lisbon, Portugal, while US Government wants him extradited to the United States.
Bail amount is $2 million bond, which includes $200,000 in cash and a family home in New York.
https://www.nobsbitcoin.com/us-government-agreed-to-release-tdev-on-bail/

[dkbit98]

New update about this case.
TDev was permitted to live in Portugal while DoJ vs Samourai case continues.
He is required to wear an ankle bracelet while living in Portugal, all his movement will be monitored by the FBI, and 27 electronic devices and seized from Hill in Portugal.
You can find more information and short video update on this link:
https://www.nobsbitcoin.com/tdev-permitted-to-live-in-portugal-as-doj-vs-samourai-case-proceeds/