What's the Verdict? The Bitcoin Community Weighs in On Ross Ulbricht

People in the bitcoin space share their views on Silk Road's alleged mastermind, Ross Ulbricht.

AccessTimeIconOct 5, 2014 at 4:58 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 11, 2021 at 11:13 a.m. UTC
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Ross Ulbricht has been charged with narcotics trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering. He refutes the claims that he is Silk Road's mastermind, also known as 'Dread Pirate Roberts' and he is currently fighting to prove his innocence.

I spoke with a number of prominent names in the bitcoin space about whether they think Ulbricht would be widely viewed as a bitcoin martyr or the ultimate cryptocurrency villain if found guilty. Here's what they said:


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Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 15.09.51


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Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 15.23.54


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Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 17.26.30


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Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 17.29.32


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Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 18.48.13


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Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 18.19.39


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Screen Shot 2014-10-03 at 18.01.48


When asked whether their views of Ulbricht were positive or negative, members of the bitcoin community were keen to share their views on Twitter:

— Crypto Cuttlefish (@cuttlefish_btc) October 2, 2014

— Gary Broadfield (@GaslanB) October 2, 2014

— Rob Jackson (@rcjackson) October 2, 2014

— Kevyn Levine (@kevynlevine) October 2, 2014

— Shane Harris (@ShaneHarris55) October 2, 2014

— Chris Gallop (@peanutsrevenge) October 2, 2014

— The Lion (@LionOfNarnia) October 2, 2014

As mentioned previously, Ulbricht is denying the charges against him and is, therefore, innocent until proven guilty. Share your views in the comments below.

This article is part of CoinDesk’s Silk Road: One Year On series. Keep checking back for new additions to the series.

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