Silk Road Founder Urges Bitcoin Community to Keep Fighting for Freedom

Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace, has given his first public interview since his arrest in 2013. Speaking with Bitcoin Magazine, Ulbricht said he created Silk Road without realizing how popular the platform would become or exactly how it would be used. He wanted to leverage the unique features of Bitcoin.

“I’ve spent the last eight years watching Bitcoin grow. I’ve seen incredible innovation. I’ve seen inspiring courage. In the beginning, we didn’t know what would happen with Bitcoin, but over the years, I’ve been consistently impressed by your achievements. We are transforming the global economy. We’ve brought a taste of freedom and equality to the farthest corners of the world. I know we can also change the criminal justice system,” Ulbricht said.

Ulbricht launched Silk Road in 2011, but in 2015 he was convicted of money laundering, computer hacking, and conspiracy to traffic illegal goods, receiving a double life sentence.

He stated that he received a life sentence for attempting to create a platform that operated outside traditional regulations. Most of the goods on Silk Road were illegal substances and services.

“I thought that with Bitcoin, I could try to do something that would really make a difference. At the time, I was impatient. I rushed to implement my first idea, which was Silk Road. I was 26, and I thought I had to save the world before someone else did. I had no idea how Silk Road would work, but now we all know what made it popular. It was used to sell illegal substances, and now I’m in prison,” Ulbricht explained.