President Donald Trump has granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road darknet marketplace.

Ulbricht, who operated under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was arrested in 2013 and later sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years for charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, and computer hacking.

The decision to pardon Ulbricht fulfills a campaign promise made by Trump in May 2024, when he pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence if re-elected. Supporters, including Senator Rand Paul, had argued that Ulbricht’s sentence was excessively harsh compared to others convicted of similar crimes.

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— BitcoinVersus.tech (@bitcoinversus.bsky.social) 2025-01-17T18:23:17.472Z

Ulbricht’s case has been a focal point for libertarian groups and advocates for criminal justice reform, who viewed his punishment as disproportionate.

The Silk Road website, which facilitated the sale of illegal drugs using Bitcoin, was among the first platforms to combine cryptocurrency with anonymous online transactions.

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