# Samourai Wallet review: KYC policy, privacy and safety grades

> Samourai Wallet was a wallet and is no longer operating. Domain and servers were seized and the developers arrested in April 2024; they were sentenced in November 2025.

Source: NoKYC Score, "Samourai Wallet review", reviewed 22 Oct 2026, https://nokycscore.com/service/samourai-wallet

## Key facts
- **Category:** Wallets
- **KYC level:** 0 of 4: ID never required
- **Sign-up:** No account needed
- **Custody:** non-custodial
- **Incidents on record:** 1
- **Last reviewed:** 22 Oct 2026
- **Official website:** https://samouraiwallet.com

## What it is
Samourai Wallet was an open-source, self-custodial Bitcoin wallet for Android known for privacy features including its Whirlpool collaborative-transaction system. On 24 April 2024 the US Department of Justice announced the arrest of its two developers and the seizure of its web domain and servers, alleging conspiracy to commit money laundering and to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The developers later pleaded guilty to the unlicensed money transmitting conspiracy and were sentenced in November 2025 to five and four years. The official domain no longer resolves. Funds remained under users' own keys and recoverable with other wallet software.

## What the terms say about ID
Self-custodial wallet software with no accounts; there was no mechanism to collect identity.

## Features and warnings
- **Identity:** ID never required: yes; No account needed: yes; No email needed: yes; No phone number: yes
- **Payment:** Accepts Monero: not stated; Accepts Lightning: not stated
- **Access:** Tor onion address: not stated; Works without JavaScript: not stated
- **Trust:** Never holds your funds: yes; Open source: yes; Independent audit: not stated; Company named: not stated; 5+ years operating: yes
- **Warnings:** May ask for ID: not in terms; Screens deposits: not in terms; Holds your funds: not in terms; Email required: not in terms; Phone number required: not in terms; Closed source: not in terms; Nobody accountable: not in terms

## Incidents on record
- 24 Apr 2024: US authorities arrested the developers and seized the wallet's domain and servers (outcome: service closed). Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/founders-and-ceo-cryptocurrency-mixing-service-arrested-and-charged-money-laundering

## Questions
### Is Samourai Wallet still operating?
No. Domain and servers were seized and the developers arrested in April 2024; they were sentenced in November 2025. See the alternatives listed on this page.

## Sources
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/founders-and-ceo-cryptocurrency-mixing-service-arrested-and-charged-money-laundering
- https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-policy-institute-samourai-pardon

How grades are calculated: https://nokycscore.com/methodology