Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, a first of its kind in the modern era, thanked President Donald Trump for setting him free and hinted at what he has planned for his future.

Donald Trump has offered a flurry of pardons since taking office earlier this week, including one for the Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht.

In 2015, a federal judge in Manhattan sentenced Ulbricht to life in prison for drug trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering.

"Donald Trump is a man of his word," the Silk Road founder said in a video published on X hours after release from prison.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison for running an underground online marketplace where drug dealers and others conducted more than $200 million in illicit trade using bitcoin.

Law enforcement said Ulbricht created the “most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace” on the internet.

In a move that has sparked debate, President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, who had been serving two life sentences plus 40 years for enabling the illegal trade of drugs and other illicit goods. People using his site traded in bitcoin to avoid detection.

In 2015, a 31-year-old yoga enthusiast from Austin named Ross Ulbricht was found guilty of being the online drug kingpin “Dread Pirate Roberts.” Convicted on 7 counts, the judge sentenced him to life in prison. Trump pardoned Ulbricht on Tuesday and now he’s a free man after more than 10 years in custody.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening said he issued a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web Silk Road marketplace for illicit drugs.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday on Truth Social that he had pardoned Texas native and Silk Road website founder Ross Ulbricht.

Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht has spoken out for the first time since U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned him earlier this week.