Ross Ulbricht, Creator of Silk Road Darknet Marketplace, Released From Prison After Trump Pardon

Social media reactions to the pardon of Ross William Ulbricht are revealing a stark divide between the political right and left as some condemn and others meme.

Social media lit up Tuesday after news broke that President Donald Trump had pardoned Ross William Ulbricht, the creator of the onetime darknet marketplace Silk Road.

Ulbricht, who was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years in prison, was released from a low-security federal prison in Arizona on Wednesday morning.

Some celebrated the pardon and release of the Silk Road founder, while others condemned Trump’s decision. The pardon has sparked a heated debate online, with many discussing the nature of Silk Road and its impact on the dark web and cryptocurrency.

Here’s a look at some of the reactions and memes to Ulbricht’s pardon.

‘A new meme for libertarians’

Many libertarians, Bitcoin fans, and digital privacy enthusiasts took to social media to celebrate Ulbricht’s pardon and release.

One of the more viral posts included a blurry photo of the Silk Road founder walking out of prison with a small plant and a bag of his other belongings slung over his shoulder.

“Breaking: Here’s the first image of Ross Ulbricht leaving prison as a free man,” the post reads.

The photo quickly became a new meme for libertarians, who began creating and sharing fan art of the image.

Some supporters of Ulbricht argued that prosecutors unfairly targeted and punished him with double life sentences in spite of no prior criminal record.

“Silk Road sold apparel, art, books, collectibles, computer equipment, electronics, herbs, and yeah—drugs,” wrote X user and Bitcoin fan @bensig. “But according to friends who used it, Silk Road was arguably the safest way drugs were ever sold: no street violence, no shady deals, and zero fentanyl.”

“Everything was tested and peer-reviewed, like an Amazon for substances. For this, the government gave him two life sentences without parole for nonviolent charges, including money laundering—just for using Bitcoin. They relied on questionable evidence and made him an example.”

Others accused Ulbricht of facilitating much more serious crimes with Silk Road, including human trafficking and hitmen.

“Trump just issued the most ludicrous pardon in American history,” wrote @hissgoescobra. “He released Ross Ulbricht, the godfather of the Dark Web, where trafficked children, machine guns, illegal drugs, and hitmen are sold daily.”

According to the International Business Times, Silk Road’s terms of service forbade selling items that could “harm or defraud,” including assassinations and “weapons of mass destruction.” A report by The Guardian included all weapons and child sexual abuse materials, though the do not mention human trafficking. It’s unclear if these terms were ever broken, and if so, whether Ulbricht knew about or acted upon such violations.