Odaily Planet Daily News Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web Silk Road, who was pardoned by Trump, said he plans to make his first public appearance at an upcoming Bitcoin event. "This is official news. I am pleased to announce that I will make my first public appearance and give a speech at the Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas." In January of this year, President Trump signed an executive order to grant Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon. The stories of Ulbricht and Silk Road are closely linked to the early history of Bitcoin. Ulbricht was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for creating and operating the Silk Road. The Silk Road is a dark web market that specializes in the sale of drugs and other illegal products and services. The platform uses Bitcoin for transactions and has promoted the popularity of cryptocurrencies.