NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JULY 27: Former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald ... [+] Trump gives a keynote speech on the third

Bitcoiners Disappointed: Trump's 'Free Ross Day One' Unfulfilled

submited by

Style Pass

2025-01-21 14:00:06

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JULY 27: Former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald ... [+] Trump gives a keynote speech on the third day of the Bitcoin 2024 conference at Music City Center July 27, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. The conference, which is aimed at bitcoin enthusiasts, features multiple vendor and entertainment spaces and seminars by celebrities and politicians. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

The rallying cry of "Free Ross Day One" that energized Bitcoiners throughout Donald Trump's campaign has met with disappointment as January 20th—Inauguration Day—came and went without action on the Silk Road founder's imprisonment. The disappointment extends beyond Ulbricht's supporters to the broader cryptocurrency community, which had also hoped for immediate action on Bitcoin policy.

While Trump explicitly promised to commute Ross Ulbricht's sentence "on Day One" during a May 2024 speech at the Libertarian National Convention, recent statements from Ulbricht's family have pointed to a broader January timeline. The family shared via their @Free_Ross social media account that he would be released this month, though they didn't specify an exact date. However, prominent supporters, including Bitcoin advocate Jack Mallers, have consistently echoed the "Day One" mantra, setting expectations for immediate action on January 20th that went unfulfilled.