US President Donald Trump has given a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, who has been in jail for 12 years for founding the defunct darknet market the Silk Highway.
“I simply referred to as the mom of Ross William Ulbright to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Motion, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have simply signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,” Trump said in a Jan. 21 put up on his Reality Social platform.
The president added that Ulbricht’s sentence of 40 years plus two life sentences was “ridiculous.”
Supply: Donald Trump
Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to life in prison with out the potential of parole in 2015 for his function within the operation and creation of the Silk Highway.
Releasing Ulbricht was one in all Trump’s many promises to the crypto community throughout his presidential marketing campaign, with the businessman pledging to pardon the Silk Highway founder on his first day in workplace if reelected.
A number of Bitcoiners had earlier expressed frustration with Trump for not following via on his promise to pardon Ulbricht on Jan. 20. Trump as an alternative pardoned round 1,500 folks concerned within the US Capitol assault on Jan. 6, 2021.
US Senator Rand Paul had additionally called on Trump to pardon Ulbricht in a Jan. 21 letter, simply hours earlier than the president introduced the pardon.
Paul famous that Ulbricht — whose on-line black market used Bitcoin (BTC) for funds — obtained a far harsher sentence than many customers, comparable to Matthew Verran Jones, who ranked within the top 5% of drug dealers on the location and obtained six years in jail.
Some stories beforehand advised that Trump was sympathetic to the Free Ross campaign and had thought-about clemency for the Silk Highway founder in 2020.
Why did Bitcoin supporters advocate for Ulbricht’s launch?
The crypto neighborhood has lengthy referred to as for Ulbricht’s launch for varied causes.
Some questioned Ulbricht’s key function within the Silk Highway, arguing that he didn’t should die in jail for contributing to a market the place customers may freely trade items, each authorized and unlawful.
Others referred to as him a “Bitcoin legend” resulting from his early contribution to the Bitcoin market.
Supply: The Bitcoin Historian
Whereas Ulbricht didn’t deny his involvement in Silk Highway operations, he repeatedly contested allegations that he was the only real particular person in cost or the unique creator of the platform.
“I didn’t begin the Silk Highway, my predecessor did. From what I perceive, it was an authentic thought to mix Bitcoin and Tor to create an nameless market. Every little thing was in place, he simply put the items collectively,” Ulbricht said in a Forbes interview in 2013.
Ulbricht’s sacrifice to Bitcoin adoption
Some Bitcoiners supported Ulbricht’s launch for his function within the adoption of Bitcoin. Silk Highway was one of many first peer-to-peer exchanges accepting BTC, although for illicit functions.
Ulbricht is believed to have launched Silk Highway in 2011 and helped convey Bitcoin to prominence throughout its early days. That yr, Bitcoin experienced its first rally, reaching a then-record worth of $32 in June.
Supply: Talos
“I owe every part to Ross Ulbricht. Crypto modified my life. Crypto turned massive due to him. He made the final word sacrifice. All of us benefitted from his work,” the Bitcoin challenge programmer Amir Taaki said on X.
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Bitcoin-friendly billionaire investor Tim Draper supported Ulbricht’s release in 2019, arguing that the US wants entrepreneurs like him.
Ulbricht’s views on freedom resonated with Bitcoin’s rules, additional cementing his place as a polarizing determine within the crypto neighborhood.
Throughout his time in jail, Ulbricht has commonly posted about Bitcoin and crypto on X. On Jan. 19, Ulbricht took to X to warn the community against a fake memecoin bearing his title.
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