Ross Ulbricht
Ross Ulbricht is the creator of Silk Road, the anonymous online marketplace that became the first major real-world application for Bitcoin. Eventually, he was held responsible for illegal drug sales conducted by users of the platform and condemned to two life sentences without parole plus 40 years.
After more than 11 years in maximum-security federal prison, Ross was granted a full and unconditional pardon by President Donald Trump on January 21, 2025.
Now free, Ross is committed to advocating for freedom, decentralization and unity within the crypto and broader liberty communities.
FREEDOM · DECENTRALIZATION · UNITY
On May 29, 2025, Ross Ulbricht made his first public appearance since his release, taking the stage at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference. He delivered a powerful and widely praised speech titled “Freedom, Decentralization, Unity.”