Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the illegal drug marketplace Silk Road, expressed gratitude on Thursday after being pardoned by President Donald Trump.
What happened: In his first public statement after being granted a full and unconditional pardon, Ulbricht called Trump “a man of his word.”
“Thank you so much, President Trump, for giving me this amazing blessing,” Ulbricht said in a video posted via his X account. “I am so, so grateful to have my life back, to have my future back, to have this second chance.”
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Ulbricht, who was serving a double life sentence since 2013 for creating the darknet website, said this is an important moment for those who value freedom and believe in second chances.
On a curious note, Ulbricht stated that “there’s a lot to talk about” and that he would start engaging with the free world soon.
Interestingly, wallets tied to Ulbricht still contain 430 BTC, worth more than $45 million, fueling speculation about their on-chain moves now that he is free.
Why It Matters: Earlier this week, Trump fulfilled his campaign promise by signing an executive order to liberate Ulbricht in honor of the Libertarian Movement.
The Silk Road website was a hub of the illegal trafficking of heroin, cocaine, LSD, and other substances, all paid for in Bitcoin BTC/USD. It is estimated that the platform facilitated $1 billion worth of illicit transactions in the apex cryptocurrency.
Despite the nature of the crimes, Ulbricht was viewed as a champion of libertarian values, with his supporters criticizing the government for regulating the internet and tightening civil freedoms.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin was exchanging hands at $104,930 up 2.78% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Image via Shutterstock
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