Ross Ulbricht Thanks Trump After Pardon, ROSS Token Dips

On Jan. 24, 2025, Ross Ulbricht broke his 11-year silence on social media following a full pardon by President Donald Trump. Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous Silk Road darknet marketplace, expressed gratitude for the second chance granted to him.

In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Ulbricht thanked his supporters and Trump, who described his life sentence as “ridiculous.” Ulbricht’s tweet emphasized the importance of second chances, saying:

“It is a victory, and it is your victory too.”

pic.twitter.com/pbqRh9spnk
— Ross Ulbricht (@RealRossU) January 24, 2025

Silk Road’s Infamous Legacy

Ulbricht founded Silk Road, a darknet marketplace that operated using Bitcoin to facilitate anonymous transactions for illegal goods. In 2015, he was convicted of multiple federal charges, including:

Racketeering conspiracy
Money laundering
Computer hacking

Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison without parole—a punishment many in the crypto community have criticized as excessive.

The ROSS Token’s Rise and Fall

Despite Ulbricht’s lack of affiliation, a cryptocurrency token named ROSS, launched in June 2024, surged in value following Trump’s pardon. The token hit a high of $0.04243 on Jan. 22, 2025, but has since dipped, according to CoinMarketCap.

Ulbricht’s Forfeited Assets

At the time of his arrest, Ulbricht reportedly controlled 144,000 BTC, then worth $184 million. Following court proceedings, these assets were forfeited and auctioned by the U.S. Marshals Service in 2014, raising $48 million when Bitcoin prices had crashed to $300.

Today, that BTC would be worth over $14 billion. However, the forfeited assets are unlikely to be returned, as the law does not retroactively recover spent proceeds.

Community Support for Ulbricht

In a show of solidarity, crypto exchange Kraken donated approximately $111,111 in BTC to Ulbricht on Jan. 23, 2025 to help him transition back into society.

Dear Ross,

All of us at Kraken want to make sure that after what you've been through, you're able to land on your feet with the support of the community that loves you most, the ₿itcoin community.

That's why we've donated $111,111 in $BTC to YOU

-Kraken pic.twitter.com/SCnZety71W
— Kraken Exchange (@krakenfx) January 22, 2025

While Ulbricht begins his new chapter as a free man, his story continues to be a divisive one—highlighting the intersection of technology, justice, and second chances.

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