President Trump followed through on one of his key campaign promises – even for those in the crypto community – pardoning the sentence of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.
“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, who have supported me so much, it is my pleasure to sign a full and unconditional pardon for her son, Ross,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
The move ensures imminent release for Ulbricht, who in 2015 was convicted of conducting an ongoing criminal enterprise and distributing narcotics, along with numerous related crimes, through his operation on the darknet Silk Road marketplace. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Ulbricht’s case has been because it’s famous for many in the crypto community it was noted that he did not sell drugs or other illegal things himself, but instead ran a platform where others were allowed to transact.
Then candidate Trump promised a “Day One” Ulbricht sentence change in May, while addressing the Libertarian Party convention
The price of bitcoin (BTC) rose in the minutes following the news, possibly as the pardon, along with a flurry of executive orders in recent hours, signaled the president’s intention to follow through on campaign promises.
Another of those promises, of course, is a friendlier stance on crypto regulation, including the possibility of creating a strategic bitcoin reserve.
