Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht’s Road To Freedom, Trump’s Inauguration Sparks Hope

Ross Ulbricht, creator of the notorious Silk Road dark web marketplace, is reportedly awaiting his release after over a decade in prison. President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated pledges to grant Ulbricht clemency sparks optimism within the community.

Silk Road Creator Awaits Pardon

According to Bitcoin Magazine’s recent X post, Ross Ulbricht’s release is just eight days away. The platform’s finding is rooted in Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration on January 20, which will mark the beginning of his second term as the President of the United States.

Ross Ulbricht will be free in 8 days 🧡 pic.twitter.com/jz8z9VgUFL

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) January 13, 2025

In May 2024, at the Libertarian National Convention, Trump promised his audience that he would free Ulbricht on the very first day of his presidency if he was re-elected. In addition, during Nashville’s Bitcoin Conference 2024, Trump reiterated his stance on Ulbricht’s release, garnering attention from his supporters.

Significantly, Libertarian voters, who long fought for drug legalization and Ulbricht’s release, celebrated Trump’s mercy for the marketplace founder. However, his vow to free the Silk Road founder despite his tough stance on drug dealings and advocacy of the death penalty for smugglers and traffickers, sparked criticism.

Trump’s Re-Election Sparks Hope for Ulbricht’s Release

Trump’s historic win in the November election has sparked a wave of optimism, particularly within the family of Ulbricht. Soon after Trump’s re-election, Ulbricht’s family wrote on X, “Ross is coming home in January.” In addition, Ulbricht, in anticipation of his imminent release, expressed his gratitude to the incoming president. His X post read,

“Immense gratitude to everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf. I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance. After 11+ years in darkness, I can finally see the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel. Thank you so much.” 

The crypto community is eagerly awaiting Donald Trump’s inaugural ceremony, expecting several key developments beyond Ross Ulbricht’s potential release. These potential moves include a pro-crypto-regulatory environment under SEC Chair Paul Atkins, clarity on stablecoins, and more. However, it remains uncertain whether Trump will fulfill his promises, leaving the crypto community cautiously optimistic.

Ross Ulbricht’s 12 Years in Prison

Silk Road creator Ulbricht, who created the anonymous e-commerce site Silk Road in 2011, allegedly earned about $13 million in commissions from the website’s illicit transactions.

Notably, the site, with more than 100,000 users, was mainly used for the sale of illicit products such as drugs and weapons. Though the enforcement team alleged that Ulbricht hired around six murders-for-hire, there is no evidence if the murders occurred.

Meanwhile, the US DOJ liquidated BTC holdings worth $6.5 billion as per an earlier order by a district court. BTC price dropped after the US government sold the every Bitcoin from the wallet.