Key Takeaways:
- Former President Donald Trump has pledged to pardon Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, if re-elected.
- Trump expressed his commitment to protecting crypto holders and supporting self-custody of digital assets in the U.S.
- This marks a notable shift from Trump’s previous stance, where he criticized Bitcoin as a scam.
Former President Donald Trump has pledged to pardon Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, if he is re-elected in the upcoming November election.
“If you vote for me, on day one I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbircht,” Trump declared at the Libertarian Party’s National Convention in Washington on May 25.
BREAKING: Donald Trump announces he would commute the sentence of Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht on day one during his speech at the Libertarian National Convention. pic.twitter.com/wusFicqqUz
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) May 26, 2024
“He’s already served 11 years, we’re going to get him home,” Trump said about the creator of Silk Road, the first modern darknet market that utilized Bitcoin as its primary payment system.
Silk Road was launched in 2011 and operated by Ulbricht from his personal laptop under the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts.”
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized the laptop on October 1, 2013.
In 2015, Ulbricht was convicted in a U.S. federal court on multiple charges related to the operations of Silk Road and was sentenced to two life terms plus forty years without the possibility of parole.
Trump also emphasized his pro-crypto stance, following his recent shift in perspective on digital assets.
“I will ensure that the future of crypto and the future of Bitcoin will be made in the USA, not driven overseas,” he stated, pledging to protect those who choose to hold their crypto assets outside centralized exchanges.
Raheem Kassam: Trump Expected to Address Commuting Silk Road Founder’s Sentence at Libertarian Convention@RaheemKassam tells @davezere that he’s heard that President Trump is expected to say that Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht’s sentence should be commuted during his speech at… pic.twitter.com/6HsNz6TX0U
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) May 26, 2024
“I will support the right to self-custody, to the nation’s 50 million crypto holders I say this with your vote, I will keep Elizabeth Warren and her goons away from your Bitcoin,” he stated, a significant departure from his previous stance when he called Bitcoin a scam during his presidency.
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Efe Bravo, a seasoned journalist, delivers compelling insights into the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry.
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