Author: Helen Partz, CoinTelegraph; Compiler: Deng Tong, Golden Finance

U.S. President Donald Trump pardons Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, which is a big deal for cryptocurrencies It was a historic event, but its impact on Bitcoin’s public image was mixed.

On January 21, Trump fulfilled his campaign promise and released Ulbricht, who had been imprisoned for 12 years. Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to life in prison without parole for his role in the darknet market Silk Road.

Ulbricht’s release was supported and highly anticipated by many in the cryptocurrency industry, indicating that Trump appears to intend to fulfill his promises to the cryptocurrency community as the new President of the United States.

While Bitcoin has evolved far beyond the Silk Road since Ulbricht’s arrest, this controversial market remains historically significant as a primary use case for Bitcoin adoption.

Nym Technologies CEO Harry Halpin noted that Ulbricht built a market on the Tor network and introduced many people to anonymity networks for the first time. Therefore, it has become a symbol of freedom in the hearts of many people.

“Ulbricht has worked his way into our hearts over the years, not just as a member of the community but as a close relative that we miss greatly,” said Mati Greenspan, founder of Quantum Economics , adding:

“As Trump so accurately noted, the reason the community is so concerned about Ulbricht’s plight is because of the manner of persecution."

Many in the community believe Ulbricht's life sentence is unfair relative to the actual harm caused by his actions.

“His sentence was so unfair given his crimes, and it was clear that he was being punished not for the harm he had caused to society, but for being an early cryptocurrency builder, They want to make an example of him," Greenspan said.

“Ross Ulbricht has finally been released after years in prison, in what many believe is the result of an unfair trial,” said Lucien Bourdon, Bitcoin analyst at Trezor.

According to Bourdon, Ulbricht’s pardon is a big deal for the Bitcoin community for a number of reasons, including its potential to change the common negative narrative surrounding the digital asset.

“Ulbricht’s case is often seen as a symbol of overreach,” Bourdon said, adding:

“It also helped change people’s view of Bitcoin as a A narrative of a criminal tool that emphasizes its potential as a neutral and innovative technology. "

On the other hand, some analysts question whether the pardon will actually affect the world's view of Bitcoin.

"I don't think his pardon will have any impact on the public's view of Bitcoin. There won’t be any significant impact on perceptions, but it’s a good sign that Trump is delivering on his promises on cryptocurrencies,” Greenspan said.

Therefore, he added that Ulbricht's release expands the possibility of the United States enacting cryptocurrency-friendly legislation and establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve that the community awaits. More Action

"I was initially skeptical that Trump would pardon Ross, but was pleasantly surprised when he proved to be a man of his word," Nym Halpin said "The question now is whether Trump will next pardon Edward Snowden, who used anonymous networks to expose the N.S.A.," he said, adding, There have been a number of other cases involving unfair treatment of industry builders, including Tornado Cash’s Roman Storm Waiting for developers.

Halpin said:

“We will soon find out how serious Trump is: he sees cryptocurrency as a way to make money quickly. Or an important tool for freedom and privacy? ”

Ulbricht’s pardon came on the same day that a U.S. court overturned sanctions on the Tornado Cash cryptocurrency mixing protocol, marking another sign that the U.S. may be moving towards privacy- and innovation-friendly regulations.< /p>