Donald Trump has promised to commute Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht's life sentence to time served if he is re-elected president.
If you vote for me, I will commute Ross Ulbricht's sentence to death on day one," Trump said during a speech at the libertarian national convention in Washington. "He's already served 11 years, we're going to take him home.
Hours before those words, Trump wrote on the Truth social website and on social media praising the crypto industry:
"I am very positive and open-minded about #cryptocurrency companies and everything related to this new and rapidly growing industry. Our country should be a leader in this field. Trump added that President #Joe Biden "wants (the cryptocurrency industry) to die a slow and painful death. That will never happen to me! ".
In his evening speech, Trump's promise to release Ulbricht was met with thunderous applause from the crowd, many of whom carried placards reading "Free Ross. ""
In 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to 40 years in prison in addition to a life sentence for creating and operating Silk Road. The now-defunct darknet site was used to anonymously buy and sell goods, but mostly sold drugs. The Silk Road operated from 2011 to 2013 and is considered the first real-life example of #bitcoin being used.
Ulbricht has become a martyr not only to many members of the crypto community, but also to many libertarians who view Ulbricht's strict ruling as an abuse of government power and a violation of his constitutional rights. In 2018, the Libertarian Party asked then-President Trump to pardon Ulbricht.
Trump also made more general comments about #cryptocurrencies at the convention, telling attendees that "Stop Joe Biden's crusade to destroy cryptocurrencies ・ we will stop it.
I will make sure that the future of cryptocurrencies and the future of Bitcoin are created in the United States, not exported overseas. I support the right to self-preservation," Trump said to cheers of approval.
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