Part 6/13:
This move represents a dangerous legal precedent: it criminalizes open-source code and privacy-enhancing technology by asserting that offering tools for private transactions constitutes money transmission. The experts highlight that Samurai wallet was built in accordance with existing regulations, following guidance that non-custodial tools are not money transmitters.
The DOJ's broad interpretation threatens to criminalize not just the tools, but the act of developing or sharing open-source privacy software. This could effectively turn entire categories of privacy tech into illegal activities and deter innovation.