'He's a man of integrity': Ross Ulbricht thanks Trump for his freedom at Bitcoin 2025 conference

Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, became the central figure at the Bitcoin 2025 conference, held at the Venetian hotel convention center in Las Vegas, when he gave an emotional speech that received a standing ovation from the audience. He spoke about the value of freedom - both for him and for the crypto ecosystem - and expressed heartfelt thanks to President Donald Trump, who fulfilled his campaign promise months ago by granting him a pardon.

"Just a few months ago, I was trapped behind those prison walls, not knowing if I would ever get out," a moved Ulbricht said to applause from the audience. "Now I’m free, and it’s because of you—the Bitcoin community."

"You didn’t abandon me. You didn’t forget me. You wrote me letters. You raised money for my defense. When I was silenced, you spoke up against the slander and smears," insisted the Silk Road, the notorious and controversial digital black market platform that operated on the dark web and earned him a federal investigation that landed him in prison under a life sentence.

Ulbricht, who had been behind bars since 2013, won his freedom last January 21, when President Trump signed a pardon he had promised during the 2024 election campaign. The prominent crypto figure thanked the Republican leader for keeping his word and called his pardon a miracle.

"I’m thankful we elected him. He’s a man who does what he says—he said he’d free me, and he did. He’s a man of integrity," Ulbricht said.

One of the most important parts of Ulbricht's speech was when he described his experience upon his release from prison, highlighting all the technological advances that humanity achieved in 2013, including virtual reality technology, drones, artificial intelligence, and the growth of cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin.

"I went into a time capsule in 2013," stated Ulbricht, who also stressed that "Bitcoin does not work without freedom."