U.S. President Trump pardoned darknet Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, fulfilling a campaign promise he made to the cryptocurrency community and liberal voters. Trump posted the news on his social platform TruthSocial on Tuesday, where he initially misspelled Ulbricht's name.
Trump said he called Ulbricht's mother "to let her know that in honor of her and the libertarian movement that has steadfastly supported me, I was pleased to have just signed a full, unconditional pardon for her son Ross."
In 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison for running Silk Road. Silk Road is a darknet market where customers use virtual currency to buy illegal drugs and hacking tools. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than $200 million worth of illegal activity was conducted through the site during its two years of operation. Trump vowed to offer clemency to Ulbricht in a speech to the Libertarian Party convention during the 2024 campaign as part of his efforts to win support from cryptocurrency enthusiasts. "If you had voted for me on day one, I would have commuted Ulbricht's sentence," Trump said at the convention. "We're going to bring him home."