Ross Ulbricht Returns to Crypto Scene After Presidential Pardon

Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, has reemerged as a public figure in the cryptocurrency world after receiving a presidential pardon in January 2025, according to the New York Times. Ulbricht had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015 for creating the online drug trading platform.

Since his release, Ulbricht has undertaken a speaking tour at libertarian events in California and New Hampshire, as well as a young Republicans’ event in Florida, where he spoke about drug decriminalization.

At a cryptocurrency convention in Las Vegas, Ulbricht was welcomed with applause and met with supporters who paid significant sums to attend. He noted that the outside world felt unfamiliar after years in prison and credited the Bitcoin community for their support in obtaining the pardon.

Sources report that Ulbricht received crypto donations worth millions, including an anonymous gift exceeding 30 million USD, and sold personal items from prison, raising over 1 million USD. Authorities and families of Silk Road victims consider his return controversial, given the site’s links to drug-related deaths.