Ashigaru Project Launches Mobile Wallet After Samourai Wallet Hard Fork

According to Cointelegraph, on Sept. 20, a group of developers announced the release of a mobile wallet following a hard fork of the Samourai Wallet code. This new initiative, named the Ashigaru Open Source Project, aims to build upon the work of the Samourai team by developing, releasing, and maintaining free and open-source software. The project emphasizes creating solutions with a low technical barrier to entry while ensuring user security, privacy, and resistance to censorship. The Ashigaru developers highlighted their extensive use of public domain code and contributions from other crypto projects. Their mission statement underscores a commitment to enabling peaceful, voluntary, and private online commerce without tracking, surveillance, or censorship. The development team, identifying themselves as former users of Samourai Wallet, clarified that they have no direct ties to the original Samourai Wallet core development group. In April 2024, the founders of the Samourai Wallet, Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill, were arrested on money laundering charges by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ accused them of executing over $2 billion in unlawful transactions and facilitating more than $100 million in money laundering. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. As part of the investigation, the FBI seized the Samourai Wallet's website and servers, and law enforcement officials mandated the removal of the Samourai Wallet application from app stores. Rodriguez pleaded not guilty and was released on a $1 million bail-bond agreement with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, with restrictions on his geographic movements until the case concludes.