Good day everyone,
I hope you are all having a good day, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things crypto. In this post I will be looking at the news of President Trump coming good on his promise to release Ross Ulbricht.
Ross Ulbricht is Free
The infamous Ross Ulbricht was condemned to die in prison after he created the anonymous e-commerce website on the dark web known as the Silk Road. He was 26 years of age when he created the site and was an entrepreneur passionate about free markets and privacy. It was in 2013 that Ulbricht was locked up as a first-time offender for all non-violent offenses, where he was given two life sentences plus 40 years without parole.
Ross was not convicted for the sale of any harmful or illegal items, instead it was for creating a site which allowed others around the globe to do so. He created the world’s first dark-web drug market and ran it under the pseudonym the Dread Pirate Roberts. He was arrested in the science fiction section of a public library in San Francisco where his laptop was still logged into the Silk Road, allowing the FBI to catch the man who gave Bitcoin its first real use case.
While the Silk Road's operations drew criticism for facilitating illicit trade, it also showcased Bitcoin’s ability to enable peer-to-peer, anonymous transactions. It operated for almost two and a half years and facilitated the sale of vast amounts of narcotics, as well as counterfeit documents, money laundering services and, at times, guns, for hundreds of millions of dollars in bitcoin payments.
Ross was convicted on seven charges relating to the distribution of narcotics, money laundering, and computer hacking, as well as a “continuing criminal enterprise” statute. This is also known as the 'Kingpin Statute' and is usually reserved for mob bosses and cartel leaders. His sentence in 2015 was far beyond the 20-plus years that prosecutors in the case requested.
Since then a 'Free Ross' movement had begun, first in a failed appeal, then in petitions for clemency. Many argued that his creation of the Silk Road was a principled libertarian experiment in free trade, one in which Ulbricht allowed only “victimless crime.” Ulbricht never actually sold or possessed drugs himself and merely ran a website which allowed their sale.
In a letter to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, back in 2022 Ulbricht wrote:
“Over countless hours, I have searched my soul and examined the misguided decisions I made when I was younger. I have dug deep and made a sincere effort to not just change what I do, but who I am. I am no longer the type of man who could break the law and let down so many.”
However his case has always been controversial, as it is alleged that Ulbricht had tried to have six people killed who presented a threat to him or the Silk Road. Among those was a DEA agent and the five others were scams. Ulbricht was charged with only one of those alleged paid killings in a separate prosecution in Maryland, although that was later dropped once he was given his life sentence. Those allegations of murder-for-hire were key reasonings for Trump and his administration to ignore the pleas for Ulbricht's release during his first term in charge. However, President Trump has officially signed a “full and unconditional” pardon for the Silk Road on Tuesday the 21st of January 2025.
It was one of Trump's campaign promises and he has come through with it, calling Ulbricht's mother to inform that he had signed a “full and unconditional pardon” for her son. Trump posted on his social media website Truth Social:
"I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honour of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross.”
The Free Ross campaign account expressed gratitude to the President, for keeping up his promise and finally setting Ross free. Not only is this a huge gesture from Trump, who called Ross' sentence ridiculous, but it also signifies the potential alignment between the crypto space and administration. While it remains to be seen which other crypto related promises Trump will come good on, one thing is for sure - 11+ years after being locked up Ross Ulbricht is finally a free man.
https://x.com/Free_Ross/status/1881925029497377104
Have a great day.
Peace. CryptoGod-1.
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