US President Donald Trump signs executive orders during the inaugural show inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025.
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US President Donald Trump issued a full pardon on Tuesday to Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road.
The notorious dark web marketplace served as a global hub for illicit drug sales that prosecutors said 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 a federal court. On seven charges included Drug distribution and conspiracy to commit computer hacking.
“I just called Ross William Ulbricht’s mother to tell her that in honor of her and the libertarian movement, which has supported me so strongly, I had the pleasure of just signing a full and unconditional pardon for her son Ross.” Trump wrote In a post for Truth Social.
Silk Road, which operated from 2011 to 2013, served as a marketplace where users bought and sold a mix of contraband, including illicit drugs such as heroin. The platform Facilitated over $200 million in salesaccording to federal prosecutors.
At its peak, the Silk Road served as a global drug market, where transactions were largely conducted Bitcoin. This made it one of the earliest large-scale applications of cryptocurrency.
Prosecutors later said that the anonymity provided by bitcoin was instrumental in allowing Silk Road sellers to hide their identities.
In his pardon announcement on Tuesday, Trump referred to federal prosecutors involved in the Ulbricht case as “scumbags,” linking them to his recent federal and state trials. “He was sentenced to life in prison, plus 40 years. It's ridiculous!” Trump added.
In the cryptocurrency community, Ulbricht is viewed as a visionary and was a pioneer in the early adoption of Bitcoin. Campaigns for “Free Ross” have gained momentum in recent years, through marches and online petitions.
When Trump decided to join the cryptocurrency community during his 2024 presidential campaign, it opened a window 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 letter. Share on X Which he dictated to his wife from prison.
