On his first day in office in 2024, former US President Donald Trump promised to free Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who is currently serving a double life sentence for owning the largest darknet marketplace and its 144,000 bitcoins. Trump's promise was a commutation, not a pardon, meaning it would reduce Ulbricht's sentence without absolving his guilt. As Trump's presidency begins on January 20, 2024, Bitcoin enthusiasts are optimistic that he will follow through on his promise. Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi have odds favoring Ulbricht's commutation within Trump's first 100 days in office. While these odds don't necessarily reflect real-world outcomes and can be influenced by bettors, many believe that Ulbricht has already faced a significant penalty with his asset forfeiture and years in prison.



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