Trump granted clemency to Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison.

On his social media platform Truth Social, the President of the United States announced that he called Ulbricht's mother to inform her about the pardon. Earlier, Trump hinted that he might lighten Ulbricht's sentence after taking office.

The Silk Road website, which facilitated the sale of drugs and other illegal goods, was shut down in October 2013 following Ulbricht's arrest. In 2015, a court found him guilty of drug trafficking, conspiracy, money laundering, forgery, and computer hacking.

According to investigators, the Silk Road conducted illegal transactions amounting to over one billion dollars. Goods could be purchased using bitcoins. At that time, cryptocurrency was just starting to gain popularity, and the Silk Road was one of the few places where it was actively used. Reports indicate that the site charged its clients a commission of 8 to 15 percent for providing illegal services.

During the trial, Ulbricht stated that he created the site as an experiment, later handing over control to others, and pleaded with the judge not to impose a life sentence.