Silk Road
The first modern darknet market, launched in 2011 and shut down by the FBI in October 2013. Founder Ross Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to two life terms.
History
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Jan 22, 2025
other
Silk Road was the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold, operated by Ross Ulbricht, who was convicted in 2015 in New York on narcotics and money laundering conspiracy charges. In January 2025 the US President granted him a full and unconditio
US President Donald Trump signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the creator and operator of the Silk Road dark web marketplace. Ulbricht had been convicted in 2015 in New York in a narcotics and money laundering conspiracy. The source does not state the current operational status of the marketplace itself.
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Jan 22, 2025
milestone
US President Donald Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road dark web marketplace.
President Donald Trump signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, who operated Silk Road, the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold.
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Jan 22, 2025
milestone
Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht received a full pardon from US President Donald Trump.
US President Donald Trump signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, who operated the Silk Road dark web marketplace.
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May 29, 2015
milestone
Ulbricht sentenced to two life terms
Ross Ulbricht was convicted on all counts in February 2015 and sentenced in May 2015 to two life terms plus forty years without parole.
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Oct 1, 2013
seizure
Ross Ulbricht arrested and site seized
The FBI arrested founder Ross Ulbricht in San Francisco on 1 October 2013 and seized the site the following day.
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Feb 1, 2011
launch
Silk Road launches as the first modern darknet market
Silk Road opened in February 2011 as a Tor-hidden marketplace, the first to combine escrow, reputation and bitcoin payments at scale.