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US President Donald Trump signs executive orders during the inaugural parade inside the Capital One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025.
Angela Weiss | afp | fake images
President Donald Trump on Tuesday granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road.
The infamous dark web marketplace served as a global hub for the sale of illicit drugs that prosecutors said had contributed to the deaths of at least six people.
Ulbricht, 40, had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole since 2015, after being convicted in federal court. on seven charges that included distributing narcotics and conspiring to commit computer hacking.
“I just called Ross William Ulbricht’s mother to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have signed a full and unconditional pardon for her son, Ross.” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Silk Road, which operated from 2011 to 2013, served as a marketplace where users bought and sold a mix of contraband, including illegal narcotics such as heroin. the platform facilitated more than $200 million in salesaccording to federal prosecutors.
At its peak, the Silk Road functioned as a global drug bazaar, with transactions largely conducted in bitcoin. This made it one of the first large-scale applications of a cryptocurrency.
Prosecutors later argued that the anonymity provided by bitcoin was instrumental in allowing Silk Road sellers to mask their identities.
In his pardon announcement Tuesday, Trump referred to federal prosecutors involved in Ulbricht’s case as “scum,” linking them to his recent federal and state prosecutions. “They sentenced him to two life sentences, plus 40 years. It’s ridiculous!” Trump added.
In the digital currency community, Ulbricht is seen as a visionary who pioneered the early adoption of bitcoin. Campaigns to “Free Ross” have gained momentum in recent years, with protests and online petitions.
When Trump decided to align himself with the crypto community during his 2024 presidential campaign, a window opened for Ulbricht.
A few days after Trump was elected president in November, Ulbricht thanked “everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf” in a publish in X which he dictated to his wife from prison.
