U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned the founder of the darknet marketplace Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for running the illegal platform, which allowed users to buy and sell drugs, weapons, and falsified documents using cryptocurrencies. In a statement on his platform Truth Social, Trump announced: “I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to inform her that it has been my pleasure, in honor of her and in honor of the libertarian movement that has so strongly supported me, to sign a full and unconditional pardon for her son Ross.”
The 40-year-old had been serving his sentence in a federal prison in Arizona, according to Reuters. Silk Road was launched in 2011 and was one of the first major darknet marketplaces, where users could buy and sell illegal goods under the cover of cryptocurrencies. According to the indictment, Silk Road had nearly a million registered users, with about a third of them residing in the United States, CNN reported.
The pardon came after a promise Trump made during a speech at the Libertarian Party convention last year. The party, which supported Trump in the presidential election, had long advocated for Ulbricht’s release. “If you vote for me, I will on the first day convert the sentence of Ross Ulbricht to the time he has already served” Trump said at the time. “He has already served 11 years. We will bring him home.”
Shortly after his pardon, Ulbricht posted “Freedom” on X. In a statement from Ulbricht’s lawyer, it was said that he now has the opportunity to rebuild his life and make a positive contribution to society.