On January 21, Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road online marketplace, received a pardon from President Donald Trump after spending over a decade in prison.
Trump announced the decision through a post on Truth Social, calling the sentence handed to Ulbricht “ridiculous” and extending a “full and unconditional pardon”.
Libertarian leaders expressed gratitude for Trump’s decision, saying, "Thank you for honoring your pledge to Ross, to our members, and to libertarians everywhere, Donald Trump".
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Ulbricht, known online as “Dread Pirate Roberts”, ran the Silk Road from 2011 to 2013. The site, hosted on the dark web, facilitated the exchange of goods, both legal and illegal, through Bitcoin
Prosecutors estimated it served over 100,000 users and generated millions in commissions. Arrested in 2013, Ulbricht was convicted two years later on charges including drug trafficking and money laundering.
His sentence of two life terms plus 40 years without parole drew criticism from supporters, who argued it was unreasonable.
During Trump's campaign, he promised to revisit Ulbricht’s case, particularly to gain support from libertarians and the crypto community.
However, the pardon did not happen immediately upon Trump’s inauguration on January 20. Trump first issued pardons to over 1,500 people tied to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot before addressing Ulbricht’s case.
Meanwhile, during Trump's inaugural speech, the president did not address cryptocurrency, a topic many expected him to prioritize. How did the crypto community respond? Read the full story.
