Trump promises to free the Godfather of Bitcoin, Ross Ulbricht, if he gets re-elected as President!

Donald Trump has vowed to make Ross Ulbricht a free man if he wins the upcoming Presidential Election. The founder of the infamous Silk Road marketplace was arrested in 2013 for creating and managing a darknet marketplace, and was later sentenced to 12 years in prison.

While some have regarded him as a martyr for individual liberties and technology innovations, others have regarded him as the head of a criminal empire.

In any case, Trump's promise to reopen an old wound in the crypto community seems to suggest that he is not only leveraging this case as a political opportunity, but he is sincerely showing his commitment to fighting what he calls "the deep state."

Ulbricht: The Godfather of Bitcoin

When Ulbrichy launched Silk Road back in 2011, the platform was used more than just a simple darknet market place. Silk Road was the fertile ground where Bitcoin truly made a name for itself, well before its mass adoption.

As much as Silk Road was a breeding ground for the trading of illegal drugs, it was also the birthplace of Bitcoin because of the decentralised and anonymous nature of the marketplace. In a very poetic manner, the values of decentralisation and anonymity that Bitcoin champions for were stolen from this very controversial platform.

For this reason, Ulbricht was often referred to as the Godfather of Bitcoin - and his role within the bitcoin ecosystem and the broader cryptocurrency space cannot be understated.

Till date, Ulbricht's case remains a contentious topic which continues to fascinate many. While some might consider him a martyr for individual liberties and technological innovation, others perceive him as the head of a criminal empire.

The Promise of Freedom

Trump's interest in Ross Ulbricht is not something new. Back in May, during the libertarian National Convention, Trump also promised to commute Ulbricht's sentence if he were re-elected as president. This sentence alone has caused great commotions among Ulbricht's fans who are excited about the release of their hero.

Ulbricht himself posted on his X account to express his gratitude to Donald Trump for his commitment to help him. But behind these statements lies a crucial question: is Trump really seeking to defend a more equitable justice, or is he using this case to woo libertarian voters, fervent advocates of cryptocurrencies?

But this question is not that simple to answer. While some believe that Trump is helping Ulbricht to show his commitment to fighting against the "deep state" and tackling against the government's abuses while strengthening the promises of decentralization that Bitcoin embodies.

But at the same time, dissidents suspect that Trump is just leveraging Ulbricht's case to garner support from the pro-Bitcoin communities.

Trump the manipulator or manipulated?

Despite such a bold claim, many have doubted Trump's ability to keep to his word. Many have pointed to other controversial figures like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden; all of whom Trump had the power to free but didn't.

So does this mean that Trump is using this case just to manipulate innocent voters to vote for him only to dump them after getting his foot in the white house?

Robert F Kennedy Jr also chipped in his thoughts on this matter, saying that Trump often listens to the voices around him. Kennedy added that he worried that Trump would not have the capacity to exercise independent judgments and stand firm on what he sincerely believes in.