Crypto
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- Ross Ulbricht has delivered his first public speech since his release, expressing deep gratitude to the Bitcoin community
- Ulbricht acknowledged the community’s unwavering support during his incarceration, highlighting their role in sustaining his hope
- Arriving to a standing ovation, he used his speech to urge the crypto community to remain committed to the principles of freedom, decentralization, and unity
At the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road marketplace, made his first public appearance since receiving a presidential pardon. In an emotional address, he thanked the Bitcoin community for their steadfast support throughout his imprisonment, emphasizing how their advocacy kept his hope alive. Ulbricht called on attendees to uphold the core values that underpin the cryptocurrency movement: freedom, decentralization, and unity, the latter of which is ironic given the divisiveness wrought by the man who pardoned him, Donald Trump.
Crypto A Decade Behind Bars
Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 for creating and operating Silk Road, an online marketplace that facilitated anonymous transactions using Bitcoin. In 2015, he was sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years without parole over that and the intended use of a hitman to kill a rival, a sentence that even his critics found hugely excessive.
Ulbricht’s case became a rallying point for many in the crypto and libertarian communities, who viewed his punishment as excessively harsh. Over the years, a global campaign advocating for his release gained momentum, culminating in a petition with over 600,000 signatures. It was thought that Donald Trump might pardon Ulbricht when he left office the first time in 2021, but his case was ignored.
Crypto Presidential Pardon Leads to Freedom
On January 21, 2025, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump granted Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon, fulfilling a campaign promise made to the Libertarian Party. Ulbricht’s release was met with widespread celebration among his supporters, who had long considered him a symbol of resistance against government overreach, and waited for his first personal appearance following his release.
This came yesterday at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas, where Ulbricht arrived to a standing ovation:
Appearing remarkably at ease on the stage, Ulbricht expressed his heartfelt thanks to the community, saying, “You never forgot me. You gave me hope.” He recounted the challenges of reentering a world transformed by technology, noting his awe at advancements like drones and AI, and shared an anecdote regarding an attempt to cultivate hallucinogenic mushrooms in a remote cabin infested with wasps.
Crypto Call For Unity Will Go Unheeded
Ulbricht used his address to emphasize the core principles he believes should guide the movement:
Principles should be simple and few and today, I’ll mention three: freedom, decentralization, and unity. Remember those three.
In his closing remarks, Ulbricht again called for unity within the cryptocurrency community:
We can argue, but never see each other as enemies. Those who oppose de