Key Points
- President Trump has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road.
- Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 for creating one of the largest darknet marketplaces.
Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road, has been pardoned by President Donald Trump.
Ulbricht was apprehended in 2013 for being the brains behind one of the largest darknet marketplaces of its time.
Unconditional Pardon
President Trump made the official announcement on Truth Social, stating he had signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ulbricht.
Ulbricht became notorious in 2013 when he was revealed as the person behind the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts” aka DPR.
He was arrested at the Glen Park Branch Library in San Francisco for being the mastermind of one of the largest darknet marketplaces.
Silk Road and Bitcoin
Silk Road, launched in 2011, gained popularity due to Tor and Bitcoin (BTC).
The platform allowed users to buy drugs, notably MDMA, without revealing their personal details.
This marketplace was the first large-scale platform to adopt Bitcoin (BTC) as its primary currency.
This adoption played a significant role in the mainstream acceptance of Bitcoin, showcasing its fast, secure, and anonymous nature.
Nevertheless, it also led to Bitcoin being perceived as a common medium for illicit activities.
Despite several inconsistencies about the case, including Ulbricht’s claim of being the creator but not the operator of the marketplace at the time of his arrest, he was sentenced to double life plus forty years in prison.
This sentence was for seven criminal offenses, including narcotics trafficking, distribution of narcotics via the internet, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In comparison, Thomas White, the creator of Silk Road 2.0, was sentenced to 5 years and 4 months in prison.
