Silk Highway founder Ross Ulbricht obtained a donation of 300 Bitcoin, value over $31m, to his official donation pockets on Sunday.
The transaction, flagged by blockchain analysts and tracked by platforms comparable to Lookonchain and Arkham Intelligence, has sparked a wave of hypothesis throughout the crypto neighborhood.
The funds seem to have handed by Jambler, a centralized Bitcoin mixing service, relatively than extra broadly used decentralized privateness instruments like Wasabi or Samourai.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT famous that two dormant addresses, lively way back to 2014 and 2019, deposited giant sums into Jambler between April and Might. These deposits coincided with the switch to Ulbricht’s pockets, casting doubt on theories that the donation was a self-transfer from hidden pre-arrest funds.
Replace: Few entities frequently use Jambler in dimension so I discovered a possible demix for the donation. 1Mp5hH originates from late 2014 trade exercise. 1CNDW has 2019 trade exercise and was beforehand flagged in compliance instruments.
1Mp5hH & 1CNDW had been depositing in dimension to…— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) June 2, 2025
ZachXBT Hyperlinks Ross Ulbricht Donation to Flagged Bitcoin Tackle
In response to ZachXBT, the donation possible was not a self-transfer as some had speculated, although it seems to have originated from a “questionable supply.”
The unusually giant dimension of the reward, coupled with its obscure origin, has raised eyebrows.
One of many addresses linked to the transaction, 1CNDW, had beforehand been flagged in compliance instruments, including to the considerations.
Ulbricht Displays on Jail and Freedom
Ulbricht walked free in Jan. 2025 after serving 12 years of a double life sentence. His launch adopted a controversial pardon issued by US President Donald Trump.
Since then, Ulbricht has re-entered public life, talking on the Bitcoin 2025 convention in Nashville and auctioning private memorabilia, together with prison-era artwork and possessions.
The donation arrived shortly after Ulbricht’s public sale concluded, which had raised over $1.3m in Bitcoin. Nevertheless, regardless of the timing, the 300 BTC switch was not linked to the sale. This disconnect has solely deepened the thriller surrounding its origin.
The donation pockets, managed by the FreeRoss.org marketing campaign, funds authorized advocacy and public training round sentencing reform. Whereas the cash enormously helps these causes, its unclear path, particularly by a centralized mixer, has forged a shadow over what may need been a celebratory second.
In the meantime, Ulbricht addressed a packed viewers in Nashville. He mirrored on the dramatic shift in his life, recalling moments when he thought he would possibly die in that “terrible cage.” Nonetheless, he mentioned he fought to seek out pleasure, even within the darkest occasions.
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