The Silk Road founder could be one of the world's richest people if he gets his bitcoin back from the U.S government.

Ulbricht, who was convicted of running an anonymous online drug marketplace, became a hero to crypto-holders everywhere. What does his pardon signal for the future of the technology?

Ulbricht's story has long been a lightning rod for discussions around sentencing reform, the ethics of decentralized platforms, and the role of government in

The president granted the unconditional release of the online drug impresario as a favor to libertarians and cryptocurrency partisans.

Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road darknet marketplace, remains a controversial figure in cryptocurrency history. While his role in revolutionising Bitcoin’s use has long been debated, recent developments have brought his name back into the spotlight.

Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was given two life sentences in 2015, thanks President Donald Trump for giving him a "second chance" with unconditional pardon.

"Donald Trump is a man of his word," the Silk Road founder said in a video published on X hours after release from prison.

Bitcoiners celebrate as the pardon came hours after Senator Rand Paul sent a compelling letter to the White House.

Until, of course, in 2013 the Silk Road was shut down by FBI agents and Mr Ulbricht, then 29 years old, was arrested in the science-fiction section of a San Francisco public library. In 2015, after a four-week trial,

Console Wars’ duo Jonah Tulis and Blake J. Harris have conducted more than 60 hours of interviews with Ulbricht, who became a cause célèbre among libertarians and cryptocurrency enthusiasts after being handed two life sentences.

President Donald Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the drug marketplace Silk Road who is revered by many cryptocurrency enthusiasts and Libertarians. “I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright to let her know,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, misspelling Ulbricht’s name.

Libertarian activists, who generally oppose criminal drug policies, argued the government overreached in building its case against Ross Ulbricht and the dark web marketplace Silk Road.