Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the now-defunct dark web marketplace Silk Road, has received $270,000 in cryptocurrency donations, according to recent reports. Ulbricht, currently serving a life sentence without parole for money laundering, computer hacking, and other charges related to Silk Road, continues to receive support from online supporters.
The donations were made in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, highlighting the ongoing interest in Ulbricht's case among cryptocurrency and digital privacy advocates. Ulbricht was convicted in 2013 for creating and operating Silk Road, an online black market that facilitated anonymous transactions using Bitcoin.
Supporters argue that Ulbricht's life sentence is disproportionate to his crimes, while critics maintain that his actions facilitated significant illegal activities. The cryptocurrency donations suggest a persistent base of sympathizers who view Ulbricht as a digital rights activist.
Ulbricht remains incarcerated in a federal prison, with his appeals for sentence reduction or pardon having been unsuccessful thus far.