US President Donald Trump signs an executive order during the inaugural parade at the Capital One Arena in Washington, January 20, 2025.
Angela Weiss | Af | Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Tuesday granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road.
The infamous internet dark market has become a global hub for illegal drug sales that prosecutors say has resulted in the deaths of at least six people.
Ulbricht, 40, has been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole since 2015 after being convicted in federal court on seven charges that included drug distribution and conspiring to hack a computer.
“I just called Ross William Ulbricht's mother to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement that has supported me so strongly, I am pleased to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon for her son Ross,” he added. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Silk Road, which operated from 2011 to 2013, served as a marketplace where users bought and sold various types of contraband, including illegal drugs such as heroin. Platform enabled sales of over $200 million– federal prosecutors say.
At its peak, the Silk Road functioned as a global drug bazaar, where transactions took place mainly in bitcoins. This made it one of the earliest large-scale uses of cryptocurrency.
Prosecutors later argued that the anonymity that bitcoin provides played a pivotal role in allowing Silk Road sellers to mask their identities.
In his Tuesday pardon announcement, Trump called federal prosecutors involved in Ulbricht's case “scum,” linking them to his recent federal and state indictments. “He got two life sentences plus 40 years. This is ridiculous!” Trump added.
Within the digital currency community, Ulbricht is seen as a visionary who pioneered the early adoption of bitcoin. In recent years, “Free Ross” campaigns have gained momentum with rallies and online petitions.
When Trump decided to ally with the cryptocurrency community during his 2024 presidential campaign, it opened a window for Ulbricht.
Days after Trump was elected president in November, Ulbricht thanked “everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf” in a speech write to X which he dictated to his wife from prison.
