➡️ Partnership for Solana Ecosystem Growth

👉 Crypto has partnered with Sharps Technology, Inc. (STSS) to enhance the Solana ecosystem by providing institutional-grade custody and OTC services for managing STSS's Solana-focused digital asset treasury. STSS holds over 2 million SOL valued at more than $400 million, and will utilize Crypto’s infrastructure to manage its holdings and invest in Solana-native projects for yield generation and liquidity expansion.

🔗 Crypto will also facilitate the integration of select Solana projects through qualified custodians to enhance institutional access to the network. The partnership is framed as a bridge between traditional finance and Solana’s open infrastructure. Crypto highlighted its institutional tools for treasury management, while STSS emphasized that this collaboration supports its strategy of using a corporate treasury for ecosystem development and responsible digital asset deployment.

📈 Bitcoin and Ether ETFs See Significant Inflows Amid Rising Institutional Demand

💰 Bitcoin ETFs experienced a remarkable inflow of $627 million on Thursday, marking their fourth consecutive day of gains. Ether ETFs also performed well, attracting $307 million across seven funds. This surge in inflows highlights the growing institutional interest in digital assets and increasing trading volumes.

For the fourth straight day, investors poured capital into both bitcoin and ether funds, reinforcing the narrative that institutional appetite for digital assets is heating up again.

🚀 Leading the way, Bitcoin ETFs saw inflows of $627.24 million. Blackrock’s IBIT was the standout performer, drawing in $466.55 million. Fidelity’s FBTC followed with $89.62 million, while Ark 21Shares’ ARKB added $45.18 million. Other contributors included Bitwise’s BITB with $11.17 million and Grayscale’s Bitcoin Mini Trust with $10.17 million. Notably, there were no outflows recorded for the third consecutive day.

Trading activity was brisk, with $5.59 billion in value exchanged, pushing net assets to $161.03 billion.

🌟 Ether ETFs also had a strong showing, with inflows of $307.05 million. Blackrock’s ETHA led the pack with $177.11 million, followed by Fidelity’s FETH with $60.71 million. Bitwise’s ETHW brought in $46.47 million, while Grayscale’s Ether Mini Trust and ETHE attracted $12.71 million and $4.07 million respectively.

Total trading value stood at $2.24 billion, with net assets climbing to $30.19 billion.

📊 The current streak of four days of uninterrupted inflows for both bitcoin and ether ETFs suggests a potential shift in sentiment for the crypto market as October progresses.

📈 Morgan Stanley's Endorsement of Cryptocurrency in Investment Portfolios

🟥 A recent report by Morgan Stanley’s Global Investment Committee (GIC) highlights the transition of cryptocurrency from a speculative asset to a recognized component of diversified investment portfolios. The report suggests that financial advisors allocate between 2% and 4% of multi-asset portfolios to crypto, depending on individual risk tolerance and investment objectives.

💼 Instead of direct cryptocurrency holdings, the GIC recommends exposure through regulated vehicles like exchange-traded products. For investors with a moderate risk profile, a 2% allocation is advised. Those aiming for market growth may consider up to 3%, while a maximum allocation of 4% is suggested for high-risk, high-return strategies. Conversely, clients prioritizing capital preservation should avoid crypto investments altogether.

🚀 In 2021, Morgan Stanley made history as the first major U.S. bank to offer its wealthy clients access to crypto funds through strategic partnerships, marking a significant shift in Wall Street's approach to digital assets. This cautious initial step has evolved into a comprehensive institutional acceptance of cryptocurrencies.

⚠️ Despite the growing acceptance, the GIC's report emphasizes the volatility associated with cryptocurrencies, which may show increased correlations with other asset classes during economic stress. To manage these risks, the committee strongly advises regular portfolio rebalancing.

“The GIC recommends that financial advisors and clients rebalance multi-asset portfolios with cryptocurrency allocations on a regular, periodic basis—preferably quarterly or at least annually,”

the report states.

“Such rebalancing helps prevent outsized positions that could amplify portfolio-level volatility and risk during turbulent market conditions.”

🌟 Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise, commended the GIC’s guidance, which impacts over 16,000 advisors managing $2 trillion in client assets. He described the recommendations as

huge

and noted that their release signifies the mainstream acceptance of cryptocurrency in the investment landscape.

🔥 Verse Mega Burn Initiative: A Transformative Step for Tokenomics

👉 The Bitcoin and Verse community has decisively supported the Verse Mega Burn Initiative, marking a significant shift in tokenomics with 99.99% YES votes on two governance proposals. These proposals aim to burn unutilized funds, reducing the total VERSE supply by approximately 38–42% over four years, with an immediate 15–17% reduction expected by December 2025.

📉 The initiative seeks to restore scarcity and boost holder confidence after a substantial portion of the total supply was allocated to support long-term growth. Since its launch in December 2022, only 3.5% of the Development Fund has been used, demonstrating effective fund management. The remaining 68.8B VERSE from this fund and 17.4B VERSE from the Team Fund will be permanently removed from circulation.

🔗 The Ecosystem Incentives Fund will remain intact to support ongoing community growth. Since its inception, VERSE has facilitated various decentralized finance activities and governance participation. Key milestones include the launch of essential infrastructure like the Verse DEX and liquidity pools, as well as upcoming expansions such as the Verse Web3 debit card and Bitcoin AI payments.

📈 The impact of these efforts is evident with over 30M app downloads and a growing base of 318K+ VERSE holders.

The Verse Mega Burn marks a turning point in our journey... now is the time to wake up

said Joel Tan, Verse Team Lead. This initiative underscores the commitment to long-term value creation for VERSE holders and the broader Bitcoin ecosystem.

💰 Ripple Attracts Institutional Investment from C1 Fund

🌍 Ripple, a prominent player in enterprise blockchain solutions, has secured a significant equity investment from C1 Fund Inc., a publicly traded closed-end investment company listed on the NYSE. This move, announced on October 9, highlights the growing institutional confidence in blockchain infrastructure and tokenized asset adoption.

💼 The investment aligns with C1 Fund's strategy to support companies that promote responsible digital asset adoption in institutional markets. Elliot Han, the chief investment officer of C1 Fund Inc., stated,

Ripple’s technology and international reach fit directly with our strategy to support core infrastructure and institutional progress in blockchain finance.

This acquisition enhances C1 Fund's exposure to firms that provide real-world applications for blockchain technology.

📍 Based in Palo Alto, California, C1 Fund focuses on late-stage blockchain infrastructure and digital asset technology companies, while excluding those in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao. Industry experts view this investment as a testament to the belief that enterprise blockchain platforms like Ripple's could significantly influence the future of global financial systems.

➡️ Dr. Najam Kidwai, the CEO of C1 Fund, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, saying,

We are delighted to welcome Ripple to the C1 Fund portfolio as part of our ongoing commitment to back world-class digital asset companies.

He further emphasized that

this investment underscores our confidence in Ripple’s leadership and innovation in the blockchain space.

🚀 Sky Launches stUSDS: A New Era for High-Stakes DeFi Investors

💡 Sky, previously known as MakerDAO, has unveiled stUSDS, its inaugural risk capital token aimed at enhancing decentralized finance (DeFi) yields for sophisticated investors. This token signifies Sky's most ambitious initiative to date, offering the potential for high returns in exchange for increased exposure to system risk.

Sky is bringing maximum effectiveness and efficiency to capital formation,

said Sky co-founder Rune Christensen.

Backed by growing ecosystem momentum, we’re forging a new path to value creation with stUSDS, attracting users motivated by accessing the best possible returns on their investment.

🌐 stUSDS is available on Skymoney and Sparkfi and derives its returns from the stability fees paid by borrowers using Sky’s Staking Engine. This directly rewards those who support the system’s liquidity and governance functions. Sky continues to lead in the DeFi space with its USDS token, an upgraded version of DAI, which has surpassed a supply of 7 billion across major blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, and Arbitrum, reflecting a 29% year-over-year increase.

📈 In addition to stUSDS, Sky is optimizing capital deployment through its Stars network, which includes decentralized projects like Spark, Grove, and Keel. Spark’s lending protocol, Sparklend, now holds over $11 billion in total value locked, while Grove has launched a $1 billion institutional-grade credit initiative. Keel is also directing up to $2.5 billion into the Solana ecosystem, further extending Sky’s influence in on-chain finance.

Our expansion proves DeFi’s ability to deliver higher returns and move capital more efficiently than legacy systems,

Christensen added.

With stUSDS, we’re building value with peak performance, safety, and scale.

⚠️ However, Sky has cautioned that some services, including Sky Token Rewards and the Sky Savings Rate, may not be available in certain jurisdictions such as the U.S., as stated in its Terms of Use.

🟢 Bitcoin Price Analysis: Current Trends and Future Outlook

📉 As of October 18, 2025, Bitcoin is priced at $107,004 with a market capitalization of $2.13 trillion and a daily trading volume of $62.96 billion. The daily chart indicates a macro bearish trend following a peak of $126,272, characterized by multiple red candles and increasing volume, suggesting market-wide capitulation. However, Bitcoin has stabilized above the $103,500–$106,000 support range with a minor bullish candle in the latest session.

🔄 This short-term recovery aligns with the lower boundary of an established range, indicating potential for a temporary reversal if momentum continues. Resistance levels are significant, particularly in the $114,000–$116,000 zone, with stronger supply expected between $120,000 and $122,000.

📉 On the 4-hour chart, Bitcoin's structure remains decisively bearish, showing lower highs and lower lows. The decline from $126,000 was only weakly contested by a bounce that failed to reclaim $114,000. After bottoming out at $103,530, Bitcoin entered a range-bound phase, fluctuating between $106,000 and $108,000. A breakout above $108,500 with strong volume could indicate short-term upward momentum, while a breakdown below $103,500 would expose the $100,000 psychological level.

📊 The 1-hour chart shows a classic stair-step decline, with a bounce from $103,530 leading to lateral movement between $106,000 and $107,000. This consolidation phase has declining volume, often seen as accumulation. Immediate resistance is between $108,000 and $108,500; a break above this range could trigger a short-lived upward move toward $110,000–$112,000. However, renewed weakness below $105,500 would likely test the $103,500 level again.

➡️ Oscillators present mixed signals. The relative strength index (RSI) is at 36, indicating neutral conditions with potential for upward movement. The Stochastic oscillator and commodity channel index (CCI) suggest conditions that have historically preceded price rebounds. However, the average directional index (ADX), awesome oscillator, and momentum indicate a weakening trend, while the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) remains negative, signaling persistent bearish pressure.

🌐 BEEAH Group and Hashgraph Group Launch Decentralized Digital Identity Platform

➡️ BEEAH Group, a conglomerate from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has partnered with The Hashgraph Group (THG), a Swiss-based Web3 firm, to launch a decentralized digital identity (DID) platform called IDTrust. This platform is built on Hedera’s distributed ledger technology and is supported by The Hashgraph Association’s Enterprise Accelerator Program. The announcement was made during GITEX Global 2025.

🌍 IDTrust is designed as a self-sovereign identity solution that aims to enhance secure access across various sectors of BEEAH’s operations, including environmental services, energy, real estate, healthcare, and technology. Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO and vice chairman of BEEAH Group, stated,

This is a foundational step toward a seamless digital experience for our ecosystem. It aligns with the UAE’s vision for smarter, more sustainable governance.

🔄 The implementation of IDTrust will start with internal identity management for employees and partners, with plans to expand to smart communities, healthcare facilities, and environmental platforms. Future phases may involve collaboration with government and citywide stakeholders, positioning BEEAH as a regional model for decentralized identity adoption.

🌟 Kamal Youssefi, president of The Hashgraph Association, highlighted the strategic significance of this initiative:

This partnership reflects Hedera’s commitment to empowering enterprises and governments across the MENA region.

👉 The IDTrust platform utilizes quantum-secure cryptography for identity verification and credential management, supporting services like know-your-customer (KYC) checks, academic certifications, and access to e-government platforms. Stefan Deiss, co-founder and CEO of THG, described the initiative as

a new benchmark for secure, decentralized identity in enterprise settings.

📈 According to Grandview Research, the global decentralized identity market was valued at $647.8 million in 2022 and is expected to reach $102 billion by 2030. BEEAH’s deployment of the Hedera-powered identity system will serve as a regional showcase for sustainable digital innovation and smart governance.

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🚀 T. Rowe Price Takes a Bold Step into the Crypto World with Active ETF Filing

🌐 T. Rowe Price, a prominent asset manager with $1.77 trillion in assets, has filed with the SEC to launch an actively managed crypto ETF. This move aims to tap into the growing digital asset market by offering exposure to cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, ether, solana, and XRP within a regulated framework.

👉 The “T. Rowe Price Active Crypto ETF” is designed to outperform the FTSE Crypto US Listed Index through direct investments in selected cryptocurrencies. If approved, it will be listed on NYSE Arca, providing both institutional and retail investors a compliant way to invest in digital assets. The fund will maintain a diversified portfolio of eligible crypto assets while adapting to market conditions.

Shares can be purchased and sold by investors through their broker-dealer. Under its current investment objective, the Fund is limited to holding crypto assets which satisfy the criteria set forth under ‘Business of the Fund — Asset Eligibility’ section

💡 The ETF's strategy will focus on a model-driven, fundamentals-based approach to identify market inefficiencies. It will also hold cash, cash equivalents, and stablecoins for liquidity management without using leverage or derivatives.

📈 Analysts view this filing as a significant shift in traditional finance. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas remarked on social media,

Semi-shock: T. Rowe Price just filed for an Active Crypto ETF. They are a top 5 active manager by assets (mostly mutual funds). Did not expect it but I get it. There’s gonna be land rush for this space too

Nate Geraci, president of Novadius Wealth Management, emphasized the importance of this move, stating,

Can’t overstate significance of T. Rowe Price filing for an actively managed crypto ETF out of left field

👉 EU Targets Cryptocurrency in Latest Sanctions Against Russia

🟥 The European Union (EU) has included measures targeting cryptocurrency flows in its 19th sanctions package against Russia, aiming to disrupt funding for the country's war efforts in Ukraine. A7A5, a Russian ruble-pegged stablecoin with over $1 billion in daily transaction volume, has been specifically identified as a "prominent tool for financing activities supporting the war of aggression."

🔍 The EU's decision comes in response to Russia's increasing use of crypto to circumvent sanctions. The sanctions extend to A7, the developer of A7A5, and the operators of platforms where the stablecoin is traded.

Transactions involving this stablecoin have also been prohibited across the EU,

the union emphasized.

🏦 A7 is partially owned by Promsvyazbank, a Russian state-owned bank sanctioned by several countries for its role in funding the defense sector. Following the shutdown of Garantex, a Russian exchange, by the U.S. Secret Service, trading volumes of A7A5 surged, reaching a market cap of over 40 billion rubles.

⚖️ This move marks a significant step for the EU in recognizing the efficacy of cryptocurrencies in bypassing traditional financial systems. However, the growing acceptance of crypto by Russian authorities as a settlement tool poses challenges for regulation. As decentralized currencies like BTC and ETH become more integrated into international payments, controlling their use for evading sanctions will require increased technical efforts.

↪️ Looking ahead, the use of cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions is expected to rise. The EU will need to develop new strategies to target their illicit use as circular economies around these digital assets continue to evolve.

🚀 Simplifying Bitcoin Payments: G-Bot's New Federation Setup Service

🛠 Fedi has introduced the G-Bot Federation Setup Service, a user-friendly chatbot tool that simplifies the process of creating private federations for Bitcoin payments. This service guides users through a three-step process within the app, allowing them to set up a federation with hosted Fedimint servers, connect to Lightning, and manage liquidity.

💰 Pricing for the service starts at $30 per month with options for multi-month plans. The setup includes features like branding, welcome messages, fee settings, and member management. G-Bot automates technical tasks that previously required coding knowledge, making it accessible for communities, businesses, and educators.

❗️ Users are advised to back up their seed phrase as Lead Guardians are responsible for account recovery. The deployment of federations is subject to applicable jurisdictional laws.

🔔 Binance Founder CZ Accuses Nigeria of Detaining Ex-Employee Tigran Gambaryan

🗣 Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the founder of Binance, recently took to Twitter to accuse Nigeria of unlawfully detaining Tigran Gambaryan, a former Binance employee and ex-US federal agent. He claimed that Nigeria "basically kidnapped" Gambaryan for eight months without cause about a year ago. This statement was made in response to a post by former President Donald Trump on Truth Social and a subsequent tweet by U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding potential actions over killings in Nigeria.

Trump warned that the U.S. may "stop all aid" to Nigeria and "go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,'"

and Hegseth added that the Department of War is "preparing for action" unless the Nigerian government protects Christians.

📉 Bitcoin and Ether ETFs Face Outflows While Solana ETFs Thrive

📊 In early November, Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced significant outflows exceeding $320 million. In contrast, Solana ETFs attracted $70 million in new investments, continuing their positive momentum.

🔴 Bitcoin ETFs recorded their fourth consecutive day of outflows, losing $186.51 million. The majority of these redemptions were from Blackrock’s IBIT, which accounted for the entire day's exits. Despite this, total trading volume reached $4.69 billion, with net assets decreasing to $143.51 billion.

📉 Ether ETFs also saw substantial outflows, with a total of $135.76 million withdrawn across six funds. Blackrock’s ETHA led these redemptions with $81.70 million, followed by Fidelity’s FETH at $25.14 million. The trading volume for Ether ETFs was $2.51 billion, and net assets fell to $24.02 billion.

⚡️ In contrast, Solana ETFs continued to perform well, with a net inflow of $70.05 million. Bitwise’s BSOL captured the majority of this at $65.16 million, while Grayscale’s GSOL added $4.90 million. The day's trading volume for Solana ETFs was $67.59 million, and net assets rose to $513.35 million.

🔄 The contrasting trends between Solana's inflows and the outflows from Bitcoin and Ether suggest a shift in investor focus towards alternative blockchain assets. This indicates a growing appetite for diversification beyond the traditional leaders in the cryptocurrency market.

🚨 Spanish Judge Orders Cryptocurrency Entrepreneur Álvaro Romillo Castillo Detained Over $300 Million Pyramid Scheme Allegations

❗️ A Spanish High Court judge has placed cryptocurrency entrepreneur Álvaro Romillo Castillo, known as "Cryptospain" and "Luis Crypto", into provisional detention without bail. This decision comes after allegations that he orchestrated a $300 million pyramid scheme that defrauded investors. The judge's order was prompted by concerns that Romillo might flee the country following recent fund transfers detected by investigators.

⚠️ Romillo recently attracted attention for admitting to financing the European election campaign of Luis Pérez, leader of the far-right political party Se Acabó La Fiesta (SALF). He was arrested by law enforcement agents from the Civil Guard’s Central Operative Unit (UCO) on November 6. The judge issued the detention order after being informed of Romillo's high risk of failing to appear for his scheduled hearing, especially after investigators traced $33.5 million in recent overseas money movements.

⚖️ Romillo faces serious charges including fraud, membership in a criminal organization, and money laundering. These charges are linked to his creation and operation of the Madeira Invest Club (MIC), which Spain’s National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) described as a "financial boiler room." The MIC allegedly promised investors minimum annual returns of 20% by raising funds for high-value assets such as virtual art, gold, boats, cars, and other luxury goods.

💰 Authorities suspect that Romillo systematically diverted funds from the platform to purchase personal assets. During interrogation, he claimed that he intended to repay the estimated 2,700 affected investors and stated that he had refunded many victims in cash, although he could not provide evidence for this. However, his testimony raised doubts due to contradictions about his possessions and lifestyle.

📱 According to the judge, Romillo used his social media popularity to run a "fraudulent business of mass fundraising" between January 2023 and September 2024, funneling investor funds into personal wealth. Several prosecution groups have supported the prosecutor’s request for his immediate imprisonment.

🆕 Rumble and Tether Forge a $100 Million Advertising Partnership for a Freedom-First Digital Ecosystem

❗️ Rumble Inc. has announced a significant $100 million advertising deal with Tether, set to commence in 2026. This two-year agreement, valued at $50 million annually, follows Tether's previous $150 million GPU services agreement that supported Rumble's exchange offer for Northern Data AG.

Tether’s commitment to our Freedom-First video platform proves that Rumble and the creators who have stood unwaveringly for free speech are the foundation for the future of advertising and creator monetization,

said Chris Pavlovski, Rumble's chairman and CEO.

💳 The partnership will integrate Rumble Wallet, facilitating transactions with USDT, XAUT, and bitcoin while providing content creators with new monetization and audience engagement tools. This commitment also aims to accelerate the development of privacy-centric advertising solutions.

🌐 This deal coincides with Rumble's plan to acquire Northern Data, a Germany-based firm with 22,000 Nvidia GPUs. This acquisition is expected to enhance Rumble Cloud's infrastructure and international reach. Tether will act as an anchor customer, utilizing Rumble's GPU resources for its decentralized AI initiatives. Pavlovski emphasized the goal of establishing

a self-sustaining AI ecosystem rooted in privacy, independence, and resilience.

🔗 Rumble's alliance with Tether builds on a previous $775 million strategic investment from Tether in February 2025, which supported the launch of Rumble Wallet and its Freedom-First framework. Both companies are committed to decentralization, transparency, and independence as they seek to challenge traditional technology platforms and compete against centralized cloud providers in the AI infrastructure space.

🆕 Aero: The New Unified Decentralized Exchange

🔗 On November 12, 2025, Dromos Labs announced the merger of Aerodrome and Velodrome into a single decentralized exchange (DEX) called Aero. This new platform aims to consolidate liquidity across Base, Optimism, Ethereum's mainnet, and Circle’s Arc chain.

❗️ The merger is designed to streamline governance, unify incentives, and enhance access to decentralized finance (DeFi). Aerodrome and Velodrome have been pivotal in their ecosystems, with a combined total value locked (TVL) exceeding $530 million and significant annual fee revenue.

📊 Aerodrome leads with approximately $457 million in TVL and $180 million in yearly fees, while Velodrome contributes about $56 million and $7 million from the Optimism side. The integration of these platforms will simplify user experience by centralizing liquidity.

🖥 Aero operates on the METADEX03 system, which aims to minimize value leakage and redirect more revenue to participants. The upgraded Slipstream V3 engine incorporates MEV capture into swaps, reducing reliance on external bots.

🌐 The platform's cross-chain capabilities include Ethereum's mainnet for broader access and Circle’s Arc for compliance-focused trading. Aero also features Metaswaps for cross-chain transactions and a tiered token-launch system catering to various regulatory needs.

🔄 Users can continue using the existing platforms temporarily, but support will diminish as Aero becomes the primary focus. The new AERO token will replace the current tokens, with 94.5% of the supply allocated to Aerodrome users and 5.5% to Velodrome holders.

⚠️ Aero is set to launch in Q2 2026, with plans to onboard Ethereum mainnet and Arc before further expansion. The team anticipates that this unified approach could capture 10–15% of Layer 2 DEX volume.

❗️ Argentine Banks Poised for Cryptocurrency Services, Says Towerbank Executive

💬 Gabriel Campa, Head of Digital Assets at Towerbank, expressed confidence in Argentine banks' readiness to enter the cryptocurrency services market. Speaking at LABITCONF 2025, a major crypto event in Latin America, he emphasized that many banks have already developed the necessary software and are merely awaiting regulatory approval.

I believe the banking sector is ready, and I know many banks in Argentina that will launch their apps as soon as the law changes,

Campa stated. He noted that this evolution could take two forms: some banks may develop their own crypto solutions, while others might partner with third-party providers.

There will be a mixture of these two approaches,

he added.

📉 Historically, Argentine banks were early adopters of crypto services in Latam, with Banco Galicia offering such services in May 2022 before the Central Bank of Argentina prohibited private banks from providing crypto assets and derivatives. However, the current libertarian government under President Javier Milei may reconsider this ban.

⚡️ Campa predicts a shift in this landscape as the Argentine government is openly discussing crypto regulation.

You can see the signs. You can see certain changes in the government. It’s clear that Argentina is changing,

he concluded.

❗️ William Lonergan Hill Sentenced for Operating Unlicensed Bitcoin Service

⚠️ William Lonergan Hill, co-founder and chief technology officer of Samourai Wallet, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for running an unlicensed money transmitting business associated with the privacy-centric bitcoin service. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in the Southern District of New York after Hill pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy charges, which led to the dismissal of a more serious money laundering conspiracy charge.

💰 Prosecutors argued that Hill and his co-founder Keonne Rodriguez marketed Samourai Wallet’s privacy features—especially Whirlpool and Ricochet—to criminal users, facilitating approximately $237 million in illicit transactions through the platform. While Rodriguez received the maximum sentence of five years on November 6, the judge considered Hill’s age and a recent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder as reasons for a reduced sentence.

🛡 The defense requested time served, highlighting Hill’s detention in Portugal related to extradition and arguing that his autism influenced his actions. Ultimately, Judge Cote imposed a sentence that fell between the government's request and the Probation Office's suggestion of around 42 months. Hill is required to self-surrender by January 2, 2026 to begin his sentence, which includes three years of supervised release.

🔍 This ruling comes amid ongoing discussions among policymakers and developers regarding the accountability of creators of open-source privacy tools. The Department of Justice has framed this case as a response to significant criminal misuse, while many privacy advocates view it as a broader examination of financial privacy software.