Share this article
Silk Road Operator Ross Ulbricht Seeks New Trial in Appeal
The defense for Ross Ulbricht, the convicted operator of the now-defunct dark market Silk Road, is pushing for a new trial.
By Stan Higgins
Updated Apr 10, 2024, 3:04 a.m. Published Jan 13, 2016, 6:25 a.m.
Nearly eight months after being sentenced to life in prison for his role in the operation of the now-defunct online black market Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht is seeking a new trial.
In a new filing submitted to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Ulbricht's defense – which declared its intent to appeal in June – argued that the court hid key evidence, particularly the actions of federal agents Carl Mark Force IV and Shaun Bridges amid the US government's investigation of the Silk Road.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
The defense also questioned the legality of some of the searches and seizures conducted during the federal investigation, and said that Ulbricht's rights to due process and a fair trial had been denied.
Ulbricht
was sentenced to life in prison in May after being convicted in February of last year. He was found guilty of narcotics trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking charges.
The brief for defendant-appellant can be found below:
More For You
L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.
What to know:
2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.
This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.
More For You
Bitcoin rises above $89,000, showing rare gain in U.S. trading
Open interest data suggests the advance is likely short-covering, rather than fresh longs entering the market.
What to know:
- Bitcoin was trading higher during U.S. market hours, marking a notable shift after a month in which BTC fell roughly 20 percent cumulatively while American stocks were open.
- Declining open interest suggests the move is driven by short-covering rather than fresh leveraged longs.
- Broader crypto markets remain fragile as ETF outflows, tax-related positioning, and light holiday liquidity pressure prices.
Top Stories
