Former President Trump promises to pardon Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht if re-elected in November. He announced this during the Libertarian Party’s National Convention in Washington on May 25th.
“If you vote for me, on day one I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” Trump said
He expressed his intention to bring back home Ulbricht, who has already served 11 years
Ulbricht handed two life sentences in jail
Silk Road, the pioneer of modern darknet markets using Bitcoin for transactions, began in 2011 and was run by Ulbricht, also known as ‘Dread Pirate Roberts.
But on October 1, 2013, the FBI took Ulbricht’s laptop, which led to his arrest.
Ulbricht was found guilty in a U.S. federal court in 2015 for his involvement in Silk Road’s operations.
He got two life sentences and forty years with no chance of getting out.
Trump also talked about supporting cryptocurrency, which is a change from his previous doubts.
He emphasized his dedication to developing cryptocurrency and Bitcoin within the U.S., rather than letting it thrive overseas.
Also, Trump promised to defend people who keep their crypto assets outside centralized exchanges, supporting their right to self-custody.
He even mentioned Senator Elizabeth Warren, promising to keep her and her group from touching their Bitcoin.
Trump’s mention of pardoning Ulbricht has sparked talks among the crypto and legal communities.
Some say giving Ulbricht a pardon would give him a fresh start after his long time in prison, while others worry about pardoning someone convicted of running an illegal marketplace.