During a Saturday speech at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, the politician stated that if he wins the election, Trump will overturn Ross Ulbricht’s sentence on his first day in office. Ulbricht has been in prison for 11 years.
A few hours before his speech, Trump expressed a positive attitude towards cryptocurrency. He also noted that the U.S. should become a leader in this field.
Trump’s promise to free Ulbricht was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience, many of whom were holding signs that read “Free Ross.”
To recap, in 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced for creating and operating Silk Road to two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years—effectively a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The defunct darknet marketplace was used for anonymous buying and selling of goods, primarily drugs. Silk Road operated from 2011 to 2013 and is considered the first real use case for BTC.
In 2018, the Libertarian Party called on Trump to pardon Ulbricht.
By the end of his presidential term in January 2021, Trump had pardoned 143 people, including Ripple board member Ken Kurson, and commuted the sentences of 70 others. At that time, Ulbricht was not included on the list.
Recently, Trump has become more favorable towards cryptocurrency and even accepted donations in digital currency from a major company.