President Donald Trump pardoned three high-profile crypto figures between January and October 2025, triggering allegations that personal financial ties influenced executive clemency decisions.

Ross Ulbricht: The Silk Road Founder

Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht on Jan. 21, 2025, freeing the creator of the Silk Road marketplace after more than a decade behind bars.

Ulbricht had been serving a double life sentence since 2013 for operating an online marketplace that prosecutors said facilitated roughly $1 billion in illegal transactions involving drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and LSD, largely settled in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC).

Trump announced the pardon on Truth…

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