US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday evening that he had fully pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road website. Silk Road was an anonymous darknet marketplace known for trading illicit goods and Bitcoin $102,590.7It stood out as one of the first areas of use of .
Trump’s Statements
In his post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said, “I called Ross William Ulbricht’s mother and wanted to let her know that I was acting on behalf of her and the Libertarian Movement, which has given strong support to me. “It is my pleasure to forgive your son fully and unconditionally,” he said. President Trump stated that it was “absurd” that Ulbricht received two life sentences plus an extra 40 years.
Bitcoin Community Reaction
The Bitcoin community responded positively to the news that Trump remained true to his promise to reduce Ulbricht’s sentence. Bitcoin Magazine CEO David Bailey said on the X platform, “We Released Ross. This counts as ‘Day 1’. “The promises were kept,” he shared. Ulbricht supporters support Ulbricht because of their dissatisfaction with laws restricting drug sales, especially in the United States.
Ulbricht’s Background and Supporters
Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison for drug dealing, computer hacking and money laundering and served nearly 10 years in prison. He was arrested two years ago after Ulbricht was caught with his computer turned on. In recent years, Ulbricht has become a folk hero in the Bitcoin community for popularizing the cryptocurrency.
“He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!”
Defenders of Ulbricht point out that he is not selling illegal goods on the platform and that Silk Road does not exist just to sell drugs but also to interact with others in an anonymous space. The defense team also argues that Ulbricht was not Silk Road’s primary operator.
Pardoning Ross Ulbricht is a fulfillment of Trump’s promises to the Libertarian National Convention and Bitcoin Nashville. With Ulbricht’s pardon, his history of convictions disappears. While this development is welcomed by the cryptocurrency community, its supporters emphasize that it is important for Ulbricht to regain his freedom.
Ulbricht’s release received widespread attention, especially among cryptocurrency and digital privacy advocates. This decision is expected to set a precedent in similar cases.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should carry out their transactions in line with their own research.
