Ross Ulbricht highlights 'freedom, decentralization, unity' in first speech after release

Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht emphasized three principles for the future — freedom, decentralization and unity — in his Thursday speech, which marks his first public appearance since his release from prison earlier this year.

"So I'm not in a prison cell anymore," Ulbricht said, starting off his speech on Thursday at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas. Ulbricht went on to express his gratitude to U.S. President Trump and supporters who called for his release from prison.

Reflecting his decade spent incarcerated, the Silk Road founder shared his deep appreciation for physical freedom, but added, "When it comes to freedom, we're not there yet. There's still more freedom to be won."

To bitcoin advocates present at the event, Ulbricht emphasized freedom, decentralization and unity as the key principles for the next leap forward, or the next piece of technology that could liberate and empower people around the world.

Ulbricht shared a personal anecdote about having to exterminate several wasp nests, during which he realized the importance of the three principles. The wasps posed a serious threat to their exterminator because they were, like bitcoiners, free and decentralized. However, Ulbricht was able to take down the nests as the wasps were not unified — they did not attack when others were being destroyed.

Ulbricht said he came to understand the importance of unity while in prison, claiming that prison authorities encourage division among inmates but show respect when inmates act in solidarity.

"So just as long as we can agree that we deserve freedom, and that decentralization is how we secure it, we can be united," Ulbricht said. "We can have each other's backs. Just like you had mine."

In 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to double life imprisonment plus 40 years without the possibility of parole for creating and operating Silk Road, a darknet market that facilitated the sale of narcotics and other illegal products and services. The platform used bitcoin for transactions and helped to popularize the cryptocurrency's use.

In January, pro-crypto President Donald Trump signed an executive order issuing a full and unconditional pardon to Ulbricht.