Catenaa, Wednesday, January 22, 2025- President Donald Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road darknet marketplace, on Tuesday, allowing him to walk free after over a decade behind bars.
The move brings a controversial conclusion to a case that has long captivated the cryptocurrency and legal communities.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump revealed he personally called Lyn Ulbricht, Ross’s mother, to deliver the news.
The Free Ross campaign, a long-running advocacy group seeking clemency for Ulbricht, celebrated the announcement.
Ulbricht, now 40, was convicted in 2015 on seven charges, including conspiracy to traffic narcotics and money laundering, related to his operation of Silk Road. The marketplace, accessible via the Tor network, facilitated anonymous transactions in Bitcoin for illegal goods, amassing $213 million in sales before its 2013 shutdown by the FBI.
Trump’s pardon follows a promise made during the Libertarian National Convention in May 2024, where he pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence if re-elected.
Critics argue that the pardon undermines justice, given Silk Road’s role in facilitating drug trade and other illegal activities. Nonetheless, supporters view it as a victory for individual liberty and reform in sentencing practices.
Silk Road was the first modern darknet market, launched in February 2011 by Ross Ulbricht under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts.” Operating on the Tor network, it allowed users to buy and sell products anonymously, primarily using Bitcoin.
The site became notorious for its illegal drug marketplace, facilitating over 9.5 million Bitcoins in sales before being shut down by the FBI in October 2013.
Ulbricht was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison. Despite attempts to revive the platform with Silk Road 2.0, it was also shut down in 2014.
