TLDR:
- Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road darknet marketplace, received a full presidential pardon from Donald Trump on January 21, 2025, after serving nearly 10 years of a life sentence
- Silk Road operated from 2011-2013 and processed over $200 million in sales, primarily using Bitcoin for transactions
- Ulbricht, age 40, was originally sentenced to life without parole plus 40 years for charges including drug distribution and computer hacking
- Trump announced the pardon on Truth Social, citing support from the Libertarian Movement and calling the original sentence “ridiculous”
- The pardon fulfilled a campaign promise Trump made to the cryptocurrency community during his 2024 presidential run
Former President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, on January 21, 2025. The pardon came one day after Trump’s return to office and fulfilled a campaign promise made to cryptocurrency supporters during his 2024 presidential run.
Ulbricht, 40, had served nearly ten years of a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He was convicted in 2015 on seven charges, including distributing narcotics and conspiring to commit computer hacking.
Trump announced the pardon through his Truth Social platform, saying he had personally called Ulbricht’s mother to deliver the news. In his post, Trump cited the support of the Libertarian Movement as a factor in his decision and criticized the federal prosecutors involved in Ulbricht’s case.
The Silk Road platform operated from 2011 to 2013 as an online marketplace where users could buy and sell various items, including illegal drugs. According to federal prosecutors, the site facilitated more than $200 million in sales during its operation.
BREAKING: Here’s the first image of Ross Ulbricht leaving prison as a free man 🧡 pic.twitter.com/j2vYeypmDs
— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) January 22, 2025
The platform gained attention for its early adoption of Bitcoin as a payment method. Users conducted transactions using the cryptocurrency to maintain anonymity, making Silk Road one of the first large-scale applications of Bitcoin in real-world commerce.
Prosecutors during Ulbricht’s trial argued that Bitcoin’s anonymity features helped Silk Road vendors hide their identities. They also presented evidence linking the site to at least six deaths related to drug sales conducted through the platform.
The cryptocurrency community has long supported Ulbricht’s release. Many view him as an early pioneer who helped demonstrate Bitcoin’s practical uses, despite the controversial nature of the Silk Road marketplace.
In recent years, “Free Ross” campaigns gained momentum through rallies and online petitions. The movement attracted support from various corners of the digital currency world, with many arguing that Ulbricht’s sentence was disproportionate to his crimes.
Trump’s decision to align himself with the cryptocurrency community during his 2024 campaign created new hope for Ulbricht’s supporters. After Trump’s election victory in November, Ulbricht posted a message of gratitude on X (formerly Twitter) through his wife, thanking those who had voted for Trump on his behalf.
The pardon was part of a series of executive actions taken during Trump’s first days back in office. The timing of the announcement, coming just after his inauguration, suggests the administration placed priority on addressing this campaign promise.
The original sentence handed down to Ulbricht included two life terms plus 40 years in prison. Trump called this punishment “ridiculous” in his pardon announcement, connecting it to his own recent experiences with federal prosecutors.
Before his arrest, Ulbricht operated Silk Road under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” a reference to a character from the movie “The Princess Bride.” The marketplace existed on the dark web, a part of the internet accessible only through specialized browsers.
Law enforcement shut down Silk Road in October 2013 following a lengthy investigation. Authorities arrested Ulbricht in a San Francisco public library while he was logged into the site on his laptop.
The investigation and prosecution of Silk Road involved multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and IRS. Two federal agents involved in the case were later convicted of stealing Bitcoin during the investigation.
During his trial, prosecutors painted Ulbricht as a dangerous criminal who had built a platform that enabled drug dealers to reach new markets. His defense team argued that he had created Silk Road as a free-market economic experiment.
The pardon marks a complete reversal of Ulbricht’s legal situation. A full presidential pardon not only secures his release from prison but also restores various civil rights typically lost with a federal conviction.
