Ross Ulbricht has received $111,111 from cryptocurrency exchange Kraken hours just after he was released from prison.
On Jan. 22, authorities released the Silk Road founder from prison after 12 years, with reports suggesting that wallets tied to him could be worth $47 million.
Kraken announced via X that it had contributed to supporting Ross Ulbricht after his recent release from prison.
Kraken sent a Bitcoin payment of $111,111 to the address listed on freeross.org, a website that claims to officially represent Ross Ulbricht and facilitates donations to him.
Mempool’s Bitcoin blockchain explorer recorded a total of 172 transactions, amounting to 2.618 BTC or $272,000, on the page.
Upholding a campaign promise made to libertarians and crypto enthusiasts, Donald Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht on his second day in the presidency.
Since his arrest in October 2013, Ulbricht served 12 years of a sentence that included two life terms without parole and 40 additional years—a sentence many argued was overly harsh for nonviolent offenses.
After the commute, President Trump posted on Truth Social, saying he was proud to grant Ulbricht a full pardon and referring to the sentence as “ridiculous.”
As of Jan. 22, Coinbase executive Conor Grogan reported that Ulbricht’s remaining wallets, untouched by the US government, held 430 BTC worth $45 million in BTC. Kraken’s donation comes as these funds, once considered “dust” during Ulbricht’s 2013 arrest, have increased significantly in value over the years.
While casting doubt on whether Ulbricht still had the keys, Grogan remarked, “I guess we will know soon enough,” indicating the possibility that the cryptocurrency in the wallets might soon transfer following Ulbricht’s release.
With Trump’s pardon of Ulbricht, Silk Road has once again captured the public’s attention, underscoring its lasting imprint on societal awareness.
Hollywood directors Jonah Tulis and Blake J. Harris revealed that a documentary about Ulbricht is in post-production.
The crypto community’s reaction on X to the pardon has been overwhelmingly positive.
Many see this as proof that President Trump will uphold his pledges, with anticipated executive orders on digital assets, including one for a strategic Bitcoin reserve.
