Trump again vows to ‘save’ Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht

Donald Trump has again expressed his support for Ross Ulbricht, the jailed founder of the Silk Road, an illegal online marketplace.

Trump took to Truth Social to vow to “save” Ulbricht.

Trump promises to release Ulbricht if re-elected

The former president shared a screenshot of Ulbricht’s recent post marking the start of another year in prison: “Here it is. Today I begin my 12th year in prison. I intend to take advantage of- to the fullest and use my time wisely,” Ulbricht said. In his post, Trump responded: “I will save ROSS ULBRICHT!”

The 39-year-old, arrested in 2013 for drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking, was the creator of Silk Road. The dark web platform allowed the anonymous sale of illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine and LSD using Bitcoin (BTC), processing more than $1 billion in transactions before being shut down shortly after its arrest.

In 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to two life sentences plus 40 years without the possibility of parole. Since then, authorities have seized more than $1 billion in Bitcoin from Silk Road’s treasury, along with additional amounts seized from people connected to the market and other criminal activities over the years.

It’s not the first time Trump has shown support for the founder. At the Libertarian National Convention in May 2024, he promised to “commute” his sentence to life in prison “on the first day” of his presidency if re-elected, drawing applause from the crowd with many waving “Free Ross” signs. After that statement, Ulbricht responded to X, saying, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you… After 11 years in prison, it’s hard to express how I feel right now.”

Trump’s support for the platform’s founder aligns with his growing pro-crypto stance. In the same speech, he also slammed Senator Warren, promising to “keep Elizabeth Warren and her cronies out of your Bitcoin.”

Too much government

Trump’s promise to free Ross Ulbricht has renewed debates about the fairness of his sentence, especially given Silk Road’s pivotal role in popularizing Bitcoin. The platform brought Bitcoin into the mainstream, showcasing its use for decentralized payments, but also damaging its reputation by associating it with criminal activity.

Ulbricht’s case continues to divide the crypto community. Many libertarians and crypto advocates argue that his sentence was overly harsh and represents an attack on decentralized finance and privacy principles. They see his punishment as an example of government overreach aimed at stifling innovation in decentralized technologies.

However, others point to the massive illegal drug trafficking that took place on the darknet website and argue that the sentence was appropriate given the harm caused.

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