Ulbricht, who was convicted of running an anonymous online drug marketplace, became a hero to crypto-holders everywhere. What does his pardon signal for the future of the technology?

After former President Donald Trump released Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht from prison, the Bitcoin community donated cryptocurrencies to support Ulbricht’s FreeRoss.org fund. While many have donated money to Ulbricht since his release from federal prison after running Silk Road, many questions persist about his financial needs.

Bitcoiners celebrate as the pardon came hours after Senator Rand Paul sent a compelling letter to the White House.

Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht is free after President Donald Trump pardoned him. But who is he and what did he do?

On Wednesday, the price of bitcoin jumped to more than $104,000, following Donald Trump’s announcement of a presidential pardon for Silk Road and bitcoin-libertarian folk hero Ross Ulbricht. The digital asset community also eagerly anticipated a flood of crypto executive orders that would overturn years of perceived regulatory slights.

Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road darknet marketplace, remains a controversial figure in cryptocurrency history. While his role in revolutionising Bitcoin’s use has long been debated, recent developments have brought his name back into the spotlight.

Bitcoin is up nearly 5% after Donald Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of darkweb marketplace Silk Road.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison for running an underground online marketplace where drug dealers and others conducted more than $200 million in illicit trade using bitcoin.

Donald Trump granted me a full pardon. I was doing life without parole and I was locked up for more than 11 years. But he let me out. I'm a free man now. So let it be known that Donald Trump is a man of his word,