this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2025
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[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago

It’s so easy to see who bough his bitcoin “scam” now, isn’t it?

[–] stevedice@sh.itjust.works 20 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I remember this guy being a fucking idiot that paid for several fake assassinations of fake rivals. It was pretty funny.

[–] owl@infosec.pub 14 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

It is funny in hindsight, knowing the assassinations were a scam. But he thought they were real, he talked in great detail about them and payed for them. This is missing from the article, I believe it was part of his indictment.

[–] stevedice@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 hours ago

Oh yeah, he's a piece of shit for sure. I just think it's funny that he's also a moron. What kind of drug lord gets a message saying "Hey, I heard of a guy who wants to take you down, wire me a cool mil and I'll kill him for you, k?" and just... sends the money? More than once?! He definitely tried to rescue an overthrown Nigerian prince as a kid.

[–] HappySkullsplitter@lemmy.world 45 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

"The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me."

He called Ulbricht's prison sentence "ridiculous."

I clearly recall Trump being president from 2016-2020, Ulbricht was sentenced to life without parole in 2015.

If it was so ridiculous, why didn't he pardon him on his first term? What changed to make it such an immediate priority now?

[–] Podunk@lemmy.world 25 points 5 hours ago

Because he needed the libertarian vote this time in order to win. Its a very cheap promise that guarantees votes and doesnt alienate anyone that doesnt care. Honestly, the fact that he followed through suprises me.

"But why didnt he need the libertarian vote in 16?"

Because he never intended to win the first time. The first run was a fluke. He wanted to play victim and run the media circuit for profit.

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 11 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Back then he thought Bitcoin was bad and a scam. This time someone showed him how to make money by creating a scam coin and doing a pump and dump, so now he's pro Bitcoin. So pro he'll get rid of all regulation so pump and dump scams are completely legal.

[–] parody@lemmings.world 4 points 5 hours ago

Imagine how many times he was asked:

“Why don’t you have your own “Bitcoin” coin yet, Mr. President?”

[–] breakfastmtn@lemmy.ca 69 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

Trump said he had called Ulbricht’s mother to tell her he would pardon her son “in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly”.

Wildy transactional.

So... does "full and unconditional" mean he's also pardoned for the murders-for-hire? Or just for being a drug lord and America's Next Top Website Boy?

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 3 points 3 hours ago

He was never convicted on murders for hire, charges were dropped

[–] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 27 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I'm actually kind of impressed he kept his word. That's unexpected

[–] TimLovesTech@badatbeing.social 10 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

His part is signing a piece of paper with a Sharpie that one of his handlers puts in front of him. That phone call had to be horrible, Trump trying to explain to a mom he is setting her son that he knows nothing about, free because he once said he would to a large group of people he wants to grift.

Because 0% he knows the guy's name, who he was, or why he was in prison.

Edit - autocorrect =(

[–] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

I mean, I'm just going to go with the most obvious grift. Ulbricht is going to go right back to operating a crypto street pharmacy. Hell, he'll do it on the open web now. He'll call it "The New Silk Road" or similar.

And then there's an agreement for the feds to not go after them. In exchange, Ulbricht uses a good portion of his earnings to become the largest single investor in Trumpcoin ever. If asked, the feds can either ignore the question or hide behind some fig leaf excuse they come up with.

It's not like Trump didn't run blatant undeniable cons in the last administration.

[–] return2ozma@lemmy.world 20 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] breakfastmtn@lemmy.ca 27 points 7 hours ago

Yeah, it's insane that he's just openly being like, "I promise to use the powers of my office to solely benefit myself," and the Supreme Court's just like, "Get it, grrrrrl"

Although, to be fair, it did also benefit a guy who tried to murder five people.

[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 15 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

Could someone explain like to an non American why the president gets to pardon people at all?

If someone committed a crime they're guilty, if there's new evidence that they're not guilty then that's what appeals are for.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 16 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

In a perfect system, the pardon is meant to be a "check" on the powers of the other branches. (Legislative and judicial). Each branch is meant to both support AND check the others.

Obviously we are watching it all unwind. Certain things were a "gentleman's agreement" in that a president normally wouldn't over do it and just pardon tons of people. We are finding out lots of things were just assumed to be ok, but are easily abused by bad actors

[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

That kinda makes sense, but aren't some of your top judges appointed by the president. Which would mean the office of the president automatically has 2/3 of the things under their control.

[–] sudneo@lemm.ee 5 points 4 hours ago

Just FYI this is not just an American thing. In Italy for example the President of the republic can cancel or amend sentences too, and it does happen relatively often, although not in the same partisan way as in the US (but that's also because the president in Italy is a neutral and representative position).

Some example from few years ago when the president graced 33 people (each with a specific articulated motivation) https://www.ilpost.it/2021/12/10/mattarella-grazia-sette-persone-sebastian-oberleteir-heinrich/ (in Italian, but you can translate if you wish).

[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (2 children)

My best understanding is that it was a historic right of kings, governors, etc. The idea was to show mercy to those who may have been convicted wrongly, or to people convicted of laws that have been overturned.

Trump is abusing it in ways never done before to payback political supporters.

TBF Biden abused it as well in pardoning his son.

[–] owl@infosec.pub 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Wasn't there a situation where he did not pardon his son?

[–] YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

Same situation, he just waited until later in his presidency

[–] then_three_more@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Sounds like a rule that very much should have been left in the 17th century

[–] MunkysUnkEnz0@lemmy.world 16 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

Probably made a deal and wants all his Bitcoin. Smart kid, you know it's hidden somewhere. Thank God he's out there double life without parole. It's inhumane.

Not to mention that undercover basically set him up to look bad.

[–] LengAwaits@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

If he didn't wanna look bad he shouldn't have sent a person he believed to be a hitman $300,000 to murder someone.

[–] paraphrand@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago

People can watch his wallets right? And they suspect/know what ones they are? And this is something people are hotly following now?

I should look this up. It’s fascinating if we can just watch it happen, on the chain.

[–] owl@infosec.pub 2 points 4 hours ago

How was he set up to look bad?

[–] nomy@lemmy.zip 43 points 8 hours ago

Wow, holy fuck, I never thought it'd happen. Even a broken clock is right twice a day I guess.

This dude is about to have a very lucrative career.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 10 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Don't know or care about this guy but all drugs should be legal.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 6 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

Then you should probably care about him. He gave people around the world access to medicine that was illegal

[–] Glasgow@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 47 minutes ago)

Silk Road wasn’t the first darknet market ya know. I helped launch the first couple that were .onion prior to Ross, but the movement has been about since the 90s at least and would’ve happened without any of us. We were working on a decentralised version that would've been unstoppable but people moved on and got other priorities when SR took all the media attention and spotlight. I'm guessing it'll emerge out crypto soon now the tech has caught up with the theory.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 48 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Tough on drugs... For people who aren't white

[–] jonne@infosec.pub 4 points 5 hours ago

Someone should really convince him to legalise all drugs to stick it to the cartels.

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 4 points 5 hours ago

Imagine having millions of dollars worth of bitcoin in 2013 and then being imprisoned until 2024.

I hope he made a food backup of at least a few thousand coins.

[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 20 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] HulkSmashBurgers@reddthat.com 22 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Because of bitcoin I'm sure.

[–] MunkysUnkEnz0@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

Yeah, you know the kids smart enough to have some hidden like thousands of them or something crazy and made a deal.

It's not out of the kindness of his heart.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago
[–] jeffw@lemmy.world 15 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Anyone else remember the panic when you logged in and saw the notice that the site was seized by the feds?

I mean, certainly not something I experienced but I’m sure if I had it would’ve been terrifying to think the feds could find your info

[–] oldfart@lemm.ee 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

All sellers had pgp keys published, everyone just used these and feds could not see shit.

Not like the later honeypots where the market published fake pgp keys on sellers' profiles and MITMed the communications.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

the market published fake pgp keys on sellers’ profiles and MITMed the communications.

Daaaaamn

[–] GrammarPolice@lemmy.world 0 points 3 hours ago
[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

Of course he would, that's who Mike Lindell wants to get his dope from!

[–] wise_pancake@lemmy.ca 1 points 7 hours ago (4 children)

Why though?

I mean, who is looking at this and calling it an injustice?

Side note: does he get his bitcoin wallet back?

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 3 points 5 hours ago

The US already auctioned off his coins. But its possible that maybe he had some more on a backup somewhere

[–] iopq@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

He got more time than actual gang bangers without committing any violent crime. His sentence was way longer than it should have been.

[–] CitricBase@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

Side note: does he get his bitcoin wallet back?

Dude was deep into Bitcoin back when it was less than a dollar. If he diversified and stashed just a fraction of his holdings, he might now be one of the richest people on the planet.

Who says crime doesn't pay? :/

[–] jagged_circle@feddit.nl 1 points 5 hours ago

To buy votes