Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht says there's 'a lot to talk about' following Trump pardon

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Quick Take

  • Ulbricht, who was previously imprisoned for over 11 years, said in a video clip that he is grateful to have his life back.
  • Ulbricht said there’s “a lot to talk about,” and he looks forward to “re-engaging with the free world” once he feels up to it.

Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road creator integrally tied to Bitcoin’s early history, said his pardon is a “victory,” and he looks forward to re-engaging with the free world after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a full pardon for him.

In a video clip posted on X late Thursday, Ulbricht thanked US President Donald Trump, adding that he was "grateful" to have his life back after 11 years in prison.

“This is such an important moment for me and for my whole family. It's an important moment for everybody who's been working for this for years. This is a victory, and it's your victory, too,” Ulbricht said.

“For the next however long we need, I'm going to be with my family so that we can reunite and be whole again and heal,” Ulbricht added. “But there's a lot to talk about, and I look forward to re-engaging with the free world. And so once I'm feeling up to it, we'll talk again.”

Earlier this week, Trump signed an executive order issuing a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht. 

"I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 

Ulbricht was serving multiple life sentences without parole for creating the Silk Road — a darknet marketplace facilitating the sale of narcotics and other illegal goods. The platform, known for using bitcoin for transactions, played a significant role in popularizing the cryptocurrency.


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About Author

Timmy Shen is an Asia editor for The Block. Previously, he wrote about crypto and Web3 for Forkast.News from Taiwan after spending more than three years in Beijing covering finance, entertainment business and current affairs at Caixin Global and Chinese tech at TechNode. His China-related reporting has also appeared in The Guardian. When he's not chasing headlines, you'll find him savoring hot pot and shabu shabu in a Taipei local haunt. Timmy holds an MS degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Send tips to [email protected] or get in touch on X/Telegram @timmyhmshen.

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