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Samourai Wallet: discontinued, here is the replacement

Last reviewed 2026-08-25

Security warning

Samourai was not hacked and no flaw in its own cryptography ended it. Law enforcement seized the servers, the domain and the US Google Play listing on April 24, 2024 as part of a criminal case against the founders, and both later pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Because the wallet was self-custodial, a backup phrase you still hold restores the coins in any compatible wallet; Whirlpool coinjoins cannot be run at all, because they depended on a Samourai server.

Do not go looking for Samourai Wallet, and do not expect a product at samourai.io. US and Icelandic law enforcement seized the domain and the servers behind it on April 24, 2024. At the time of the seizure the address showed a law enforcement notice; today it does not load at all, so there is no page, no download and no company. Anything currently using the Samourai name is somebody else's, and no legitimate service will ever ask you for your backup phrase.

What it was: an open-source, bitcoin-only Android wallet developed from about 2015, built around two privacy features. Whirlpool was a coinjoin mixer that pooled users' coins into batches; Ricochet added extra hops to a payment to break the trail a later observer could follow. The Justice Department's April 2024 indictment alleged that more than 80,000 BTC, worth over $2 billion applying the exchange rate at the time of each transaction, passed through the two services, that Samourai laundered over $100 million of criminal proceeds from markets including Silk Road and Hydra, and that the pair collected roughly $3.4 million in Whirlpool fees and $1.1 million in Ricochet fees. In the same announcement, the IRS Criminal Investigation agent in charge said plainly that Samourai Wallet was closed for business.

How it ended: founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025 to one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The money laundering conspiracy count was not part of the plea. The Justice Department said they agreed to forfeit close to $238 million. Rodriguez was sentenced to five years on November 6, 2025 and Hill to four years on November 19, 2025. On December 15, 2025, asked about a pardon for Rodriguez, President Trump said he had heard about it and would look at it, and asked the attorney general to review the case. A review is all that has been announced.

If you still hold coins in a Samourai wallet, they are not lost. It was self-custodial, so your backup phrase controls them and always did. Restore that phrase in a wallet that is still maintained and move the funds. Sparrow is the closest desktop replacement for coin control and privacy tooling; BlueWallet or Aqua will do the job on a phone.

Made by
Samourai Wallet
Type
Software wallet
Runs on
Android
Who holds the keys
self-custodial for your keys, but its Whirlpool coinjoins ran through a Samourai server that no longer exists
Bitcoin only
Yes
Released
Developed from about 2015, per the Justice Department's indictment; seized on April 24, 2024
Coin support
Bitcoin only, with no altcoin or token support

Pros and cons

What works

  • Self-custodial, so a backup phrase you still hold restores the coins in another wallet today
  • Open source, and its coin control and coinjoin design influenced the bitcoin wallets that came after it
  • Bitcoin only, with no token or altcoin code on the device

What to watch

  • Seized on April 24, 2024: the servers, the domain and the Google Play listing are gone and the app cannot be installed
  • samourai.io no longer serves anything at all, so any site using the name today belongs to someone else
  • Both founders pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison in November 2025, forfeiting close to $238 million
  • Whirlpool coinjoins ran through a Samourai server, so that feature died with the company even for anyone who kept the app
  • The case is the clearest published warning yet about the legal risk of running a bitcoin mixing service in the US

Wallets that still work

Frequently asked questions

Is Samourai Wallet still usable?

No. Law enforcement seized its servers and domain on April 24, 2024 and a seizure warrant removed the Android app from Google Play in the US. Even an installed copy cannot reach Whirlpool, because that ran through Samourai's own server.

Can I get my bitcoin out of Samourai Wallet?

Yes, if you have your backup phrase. Samourai was self-custodial, so the coins are controlled by that phrase and not by the company. Restore it in a maintained wallet such as Sparrow on a desktop or BlueWallet on a phone, then move the funds.

What happened to the Samourai Wallet founders?

Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025 to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Rodriguez was sentenced to five years on November 6, 2025 and Hill to four years on November 19, 2025.

Did Trump pardon the Samourai Wallet founders?

No. Asked about a pardon for Rodriguez on December 15, 2025, President Trump said he had heard about it and would look at it, and asked the attorney general to review the case. Nothing beyond a review has been announced.

Is samourai.io safe to visit?

There is nothing there to visit. The domain was seized in April 2024 and no longer loads. Treat any site, app listing or support account using the Samourai name as an impostor, and never enter a backup phrase into one.

Sources