Trump Pardons Silk Road Founder Ross Ulbricht, Calls Prosecutors ‘Scum’

President Trump pardons Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, slamming prosecutors as “scum.” The move reignites debates on cybercrime justice, presidential power, and fairness.

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous dark web marketplace Silk Road. The decision has kicked off a debate across political, legal, and cybersecurity circles while raising questions about possible pardons for other high-profile figures such as Julian Assange and Edward Snowden.

The Silk Road Story

Launched in February 2011, Silk Road was an online marketplace accessible through the Tor network, designed to ensure user anonymity. The platform operated much like eBay but was primarily known for facilitating the trade of illegal goods, particularly drugs. Payments on Silk Road were conducted using Bitcoin, making transactions nearly untraceable.

Ross Ulbricht, operating under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” positioned himself as a libertarian ideologue, claiming the marketplace was ...