A group of developers recently made headlines when they announced the release of a new mobile wallet called Ashigaru. This wallet is built upon the code of the Samourai Wallet, but operates under the new “Ashigaru Open Source Project.” The developers behind Ashigaru aim to create free and open-source software that provides secure and private solutions for users, while also minimizing censorship resistance.
Interestingly, the Ashigaru project heavily relies on code from the public domain and other cryptocurrency projects. The development team, who refer to themselves as former users of Samourai Wallet, have no affiliation with the core development group of Samourai Wallet.
The creation of Ashigaru comes after the founders of Samourai Wallet, Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill, were arrested on charges of money laundering in April 2024. The United States Department of Justice accused the founders of facilitating unlawful transactions amounting to over $2 billion and money laundering transactions surpassing $100 million. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of the investigation, the FBI seized the Samourai Wallet’s website and servers, and forced app stores to remove the application.
In response to these allegations, Rodriguez pleaded not guilty and was released on a $1 million bail bond agreement. However, he is required to stay within certain geographic boundaries until the conclusion of his case.
The development of Ashigaru provides an alternative for users seeking a secure and private mobile wallet, given the legal troubles faced by the founders of Samourai Wallet.