Trump Pardons Former Silk Road Founder and Bitcoin Icon Ross Ulbricht

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the pardon of Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road online marketplace.

In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said he had granted Ulbricht a "full and unconditional pardon," citing support from the Libertarian movement and criticizing the government’s handling of Ulbricht’s case.

Ulbricht, 40, was convicted in 2015 on charges including conspiracy to traffic narcotics and money laundering in connection with the Silk Road, a darknet site that facilitated billions of dollars in illegal drug transactions.

He received a sentence of two life terms plus 40 years without parole, sparking years of debate over the fairness of his punishment.

"The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics involved in the modern-day weaponization of government against me," Trump wrote.

The pardon is expected to draw sharp reactions from both supporters and critics.

Advocates for Ulbricht have long argued his sentence was excessive, while opponents highlight the scale of criminal activity linked to the Silk Road.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.