US President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, founder of the online marketplace Silk Road. Ulbricht was serving a life sentence after being convicted of running the platform, which facilitated more than $200 million in illegal transactions, including drug sales, using Bitcoin.
Trump shared the news on Truth Social, revealing that he personally called Ulbricht’s mother to inform her of the decision. The president said that the pardon was issued in honor of her and the liberation movement that supported it. He also criticized those responsible for convicting Ulbricht and said, “The scum who worked to convict him were the same lunatics who participated in arming the modern-day government against me.”
Background of Ross Ulbricht and the Silk Road
Ross Ulbricht, born in 1984, created Silk Road, an online marketplace that operates on the dark web. His platform gained global attention for enabling anonymous and unregulated trade in illegal substances, eventually leading to his arrest in 2013. Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 on multiple charges, including drug trafficking conspiracy, money laundering, and computer hacking, and was sentenced to life in prison. . Without the possibility of parole.
The existence of the Silk Road has presented challenges to law enforcement and raised questions about digital privacy, free markets, and the balance between technology and regulation. Despite the illegal activities, Ulbricht’s supporters say his life sentence was too harsh, especially given his lack of prior criminal record.
The decision to pardon Ulbricht sparked mixed reactions, with some praising Trump’s stance on criminal justice reform and others questioning the message it sends regarding accountability for illegal acts. Ulbricht’s case has been a major topic of discussion for years, with many in the cryptocurrency and libertarian communities calling for his release.
