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Pavel defies Bitcoin privacy crackdown with open-source tools

Thursday, April 9, 2026 · from 1 podcast
Ungovernable Misfits
  • Whirlpool relaunched as Ashigaru, proving arrests can't erase open-source code.
  • Ronin Dojo now obfuscates transaction origins via peer-to-peer routing.
  • Developers work under constant threat of sudden federal arrest.

Privacy software lives on in forks. When the FBI arrested the Samurai Wallet team, the community simply revived its mixing service as Ashigaru. According to Pavel on Ungovernable Misfits, this is the definitive proof that authorities cannot kill public code; they can only create a game of whack-a-mole.

"The code didn't vanish. A fork called Ashigaru recently relaunched Whirlpool, the mixing service regulators tried to shut down."

- Ungovernable Misfits

Pavel's own project, Ronin Dojo, continues this defiance with technical upgrades. He is finishing a UI update that integrates a privacy analysis tool, replacing the seized kycp.org website. More critically, the latest version includes Soroban, a peer-to-peer network that routes transactions through random nodes to hide their origin before they ever reach the Bitcoin blockchain.

The environment for builders is one of silent pressure. Pavel expected a knock on his door the day his colleagues were taken. He describes a constant mental tax, working without public announcements to avoid drawing targeted enforcement. The legal playbook has escalated from warnings to immediate arrests, aiming to block technical defenses through the courts. Despite this, Pavel refuses to abandon the work, viewing open-source development as an unstoppable form of dissent.

PrivacyBTC MarketsAdoption

Entities Mentioned

FBIConcept
MoneroProtocol
Samurai WalletConcept
WhirlpoolConcept

Source Intelligence

What each podcast actually said

Ungovernable Misfits
Ungovernable Misfits

The Code Lives On | THE UNBOUNDED SERIES: Dojo Coder • Apr 8

  • Ronin Dojo remains active despite setbacks, with Pavel finishing a UI update that will reintegrate a transaction privacy analysis tool, similar to the defunct kycp.org site.
  • Pavel says a key lesson from the Samurai case is to not publicly announce plans, as the team's open discussion of decentralizing Whirlpool likely triggered the swift FBI action.
  • Pavel believes the Bitcoin privacy movement lacks clear direction post-Samurai, with many users moving to Monero or giving up, though projects like Ashigaru continue the work.
  • Ashigaru is a fork of Samurai Wallet that demonstrates open-source code cannot be stopped by arrests; its team recently relaunched Whirlpool as an act of defiance.
  • Pavel notes Ashigaru's team communicates only via email, making public trust reliant on their transparency in documenting code changes and their rationale.
  • A recent Dojo update includes Soroban, a peer-to-peer network that routes transactions through random nodes to obfuscate their origin before broadcasting to Bitcoin.
  • Pavel recommends following Frank Corva, Econo Alchemist, and Max Tannehill for accurate information on the Samurai case and Bitcoin privacy.

Also from this episode:

Protocol (4)
  • Pavel first used Bitcoin in 2015 at Paral Polis, a Prague café that only accepted Bitcoin, which framed the technology for him as a tool for freedom, not investment.
  • Pavel began contributing to Samurai's Dojo software in 2019 because it was written in JavaScript, a language he knew, allowing him to add features to the open-source node software.
  • The Samurai team's arrest was a sudden escalation, moving directly to prosecution without prior cease-and-desist orders or app store removals.
  • Support for the arrested Samurai developers can be directed to ptprights.org, which accepts Bitcoin and fiat donations for their legal defense.
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