Czech government under pressure over bitcoin donation from ‘Silk Road’ entrepreneur

A controversial $45 million Bitcoin donation by an entrepreneur convicted of operating a dark web marketplace is rocking the Czech political scene.

A Bitcoin (BTC) donation is shaking the Czech political landscape. On Thursday, June 12, the Czech opposition called for a no-confidence vote on the government over alleged corruption. The scandal involves the donation of 468 bitcoins, worth $45 million, to the state by an ex-convict.

The benefactor was Tomáš Jiříkovský, a controversial entrepreneur and drug trafficker who operated a dark web marketplace for illegal drugs. He was convicted in 2017 for drug trafficking, fraud, and illegal weapons possession, and served his sentence until 2021.

The payment, which was made to the Justice Ministry, was accepted by then-Minister Pavel Blazek. The funds were later liquidated into fiat and transferred to the state treasury. However, the donation prompted pressure from the opposition, and Blazek was forced to resign on May 31.

While the funds were given to the state rather than to the minister personally, the opposition questioned the origins of the funds. The opposition accused the government of accepting the bitcoins without any AML or KYC checks. Without verifying their origin, it’s impossible to know whether they were connected to illegal activity.

Czech story mirrors ‘Silk Road’ scandal

Jiříkovský’s operations closely resemble those of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road. The platform was one of the first places where Bitcoin could be readily used, but it was also a hub for illegal drug trafficking. Ulbricht was pardoned in January 2025 by President Donald Trump after serving 11 years in jail. Interestingly, in June, he received a 300 Bitcoin donation from a “questionable source.”

The scandal is rocking the crypto-friendly Czech government, which had hoped to attract crypto businesses with its flexible stance on MiCA regulations. It also risks undermining public trust in Bitcoin by associating it with illegal operations.