Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht is now serving his 12th year in prison. Sharing. A commitment to making the most of your time. Former President Donald Trump vowed again on Wednesday to “save” Ulbricht, a pledge that reopens old wounds and sparks debate over crypto and justice.
On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump tweeted, “SAVE ROSS ULBRICHT!” He said. on Social truthreviving interest in the platform that describes Ulbricht's history and early use of Bitcoin.
Ulbricht's case related to the rise and fall of the Silk Road—which brought Bitcoin into the mainstream—always sways opinion.
Trump's pledge revives debates over government overlap and the decentralization that the Silk Road once embraced.
This isn't Trump's first show of support. In the year In May 2024, he told an audience at the Libertarian National Convention that he would commute Ulbricht's life sentence “on day one” if re-elected, prompting cheers from the crowd waving “Free Ross” signs.
Ulbricht, Responding to a time of rare optimism, He tweeted.“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you… After 11 years in prison, it's hard to describe how I feel at this moment.” Yet, the crypto community is divided.
Trump's promise to pardon Ulbricht has drawn mixed reactions—some see it as a genuine push for justice, while others see it as a calculated move to curry favor with libertarians and cryptocurrency supporters in the 2024 presidential bid.
Launched in 2011, Silk Road was an unprecedented dark marketplace that used Bitcoin as its primary currency to facilitate anonymous transactions, mostly for illegal goods and services.
The Silk Road has made Bitcoin a household name, reflecting its use for decentralized payments, but it has also made its name a currency associated with crime.
Ulbricht, who goes by the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was arrested in 2013, his laptop was seized by the FBI, and he was subsequently sentenced to two life sentences and 40 years in prison in 2015.
Many libertarians and crypto advocates argue that Ross' life sentence was excessive. They see it not only as a punishment for running the Silk Road, but also as an attack on the principles of decentralized finance.
The presidential candidate's recent endorsement of Ulbricht suits him well. Pro-crypto rhetoric; At the same libertarian event, Trump vowed to distance Elizabeth Warren and her allies from Bitcoin, which he once called dangerous and fraudulent, in a dramatic shift from his previous criticisms of cryptocurrency.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair.
Daily Debrief Newspaper
Start every day with top news stories, plus original features, podcasts, videos and more.
