Former U.S. President Donald Trump intends to support Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road marketplace, who is serving a life sentence since 2015. Ulbricht’s platform, active between 2011 and 2013, facilitated the trade of illegal drugs using Bitcoin and other virtual currencies.
Trump’s pledge to aid Ulbricht is part of his campaign to attract Libertarian voters who see Ulbricht as a victim of government overreach. This stance marks a shift from Trump’s previous skepticism towards cryptocurrency.
“I am very positive and open-minded to cryptocurrency companies and all things related to this new and burgeoning industry. Our country must be the leader in the field, there is no second place,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump’s recent support for the cryptocurrency sector has led to a surge in Trump-themed meme coins like the “MAGA” token. Additionally, Trump-branded NFTs offer perks such as dining with him at Mar-a-Lago, reinforcing his appeal among crypto enthusiasts.
To further resonate with the crypto community, Trump has vowed to prevent the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and has begun accepting cryptocurrency donations for his campaign. He is the first major party candidate to do so.
Trump’s promise to commute Ulbricht’s sentence, announced at the Libertarian National Convention, underscores his calculated attempt to secure key demographic support for the upcoming presidential election.
