As a researcher with a background in criminal justice and technology, I have been closely following the case of Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road founder, for several years now. My interest in this case is not only due to its impact on the development of digital currencies and online marketplaces, but also because it raises important questions about freedom, privacy, and the role of government in regulating these new technologies.
For the first time since the U.S. election, Ross Ulbricht, currently imprisoned as founder of the Silk Road, took to Twitter to voice optimism that President-elect Donald Trump might keep his pledge and commute Ulbricht’s sentence.
Reflecting on a Nov. 12 post, I, as an analyst, can rephrase Ulbricht’s statement in my own words: After Donald Trump’s victory in the 2015 election, I, Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, began to see a glimmer of freedom at the end of the tunnel in my prison term. Convicted for money laundering, computer hacking, and conspiracy to traffic narcotics, I was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole following my 2015 trial.
In 2011, Ulbricht launched a marketplace called Silk Road. This online platform quickly caught the interest of U.S. law enforcement due to its role in facilitating illegal activities such as drug sales. The FBI apprehended the founder of Silk Road and shut down the platform in 2013. Currently, he is imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary located in Tucson, Arizona.
During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump did not reduce Ross Ulbricht’s sentence, despite calls for the Silk Road Founder’s release by advocates even after Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. However, before the Libertarian Party’s National Convention in May, then-candidate Trump promised that if elected, he would work to free Ulbricht “on his first day” in office.
Some crypto users are skeptical of Trump’s intentions
As a researcher delving into the realm of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, I’ve observed a persistent plea from enthusiasts for a presidential pardon for Ulbricht, following his conviction. However, there was doubt among some quarters that Trump, despite his expressed intentions towards the Silk Road founder, would honor this pledge. In a pre-election social media post, Trump reaffirmed his commitment, but PolitiFact reported in 2020 that Trump upheld or partially upheld approximately 27% of his campaign promises during his first three years as President.
In response to Ulbricht’s post on November 12th, Franklin expressed his lack of faith in Trump by saying, “Trump didn’t manage to secure your freedom even after four years in office; he failed to deliver.
One way of rephrasing this passage is: In his campaign pledges to the cryptocurrency sector, Trump proposed actions such as removing Gary Gensler as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a move that might require just cause; advocating for all Bitcoin (BTC) to be mined within the United States; and preventing the U.S. government from creating a central bank digital currency (CBDC). During his first term, Trump expressed skepticism towards Bitcoin, describing it as “not real money” and being based on “nothing more than hot air.
On November 13, Trump convened with President Biden at the White House, marking one step in the process for him to assume office in January. It was widely speculated that the handover would proceed “seamlessly.
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2024-11-13 20:56