CiVL News: Apr 12, 2026, 1:04 PM PDT -- Hormuz Blockade, Tiger King's Lawyer, and a Bitcoin Privacy Case

Here's your latest episode from the Reason Magazine CiVL News Roundup produced by CiVL.com. This episode covers President Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions against a lawyer for using AI-generated fake citations, and a bitcoin privacy developer's prison sentence. • President Trump declared a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, citing Iran's alleged mining and toll collection.• The US Navy began setting conditions for mine clearance, with two ships reportedly turning back after Iranian drone threats.• A federal court sanctioned lawyer Roger Roots $1,500 for filing court documents with AI-generated fake citations.• Roots represented Joe Exotic (Joseph Maldonado) in a dismissed lawsuit against Black Pine Animal Sanctuary.• Kee-on Rod-ree-gez, co-founder of Samourai Wallet, was sentenced to five years in federal prison.• Rod-ree-gez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.• Samourai Wallet's Whirlpool feature allowed users to obscure bitcoin transaction trails.• Prosecutors alleged Samourai Wallet laundered over $237 million from illicit activities.• FinCEN informed DOJ that Samourai Wallet was not a money-transmitting business as it did not take custody of bitcoin. Join CiVL and be part of building the future you want to live in. Be an early adopter. We're just getting started. Human respect, a core tenet of CiVL's vision, recognizes that the path to a flourishing civilization does not lie in more efficient forms of coercion, but in the widespread adoption of human respect as a primary value. By moving away from the "Conflict Machine" and toward a culture of voluntary cooperation, we align ourselves with the natural requirements for human well-being. We built CiVL News out of our passion for free and open access to information. Follow the topics you care about, and don't be subjected to algos! You're invited to build a hub with us for ideas that upgrade civilizations.