Until, of course, in 2013 the Silk Road was shut down by FBI agents and Mr Ulbricht, then 29 years old, was arrested in the science-fiction section of a San Francisco public library. In 2015, after a four-week trial,

Ulbricht was given two life sentences, plus 40 years for running a site that allegedly facilitated $183m in drug sales.

The news doesn't come as a surprise, however. Trump committed to the first-day pardoning of Ulbricht when speaking at the Libertarian National Convention in May 2024. The President said the decision to pardon the Silk Road founder was "in honor" of Ulbricht's mother, who had campaigned for his release.

During his campaign, Trump promised to reduce Ulbricht's sentence "on day one" if re-elected, and garnered enormous support from Ulbricht's family and supporters.

President Trump announced that he signed a full pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road founder who was sentenced to life in prison.

Ulbricht's story has long been a lightning rod for discussions around sentencing reform, the ethics of decentralized platforms, and the role of government in

Ulbricht’s conviction has been wiped out, but his 144,000 Bitcoins are long gone.