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Personal items belonging to Ross Ulbricht, the convicted founder of darknet marketplace Silk Road, have sold for over $1.8 million in a Bitcoin-exclusive auction that attracted crypto enthusiasts and history collectors alike.
The 39-year-old entrepreneur, who received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in January 2024, liquidated personal possessions through Scarce City's Bitcoin-only platform. The collection spanned two distinct life chapters: pre-arrest camping gear including a sleeping bag and drum, alongside prison-era artifacts like 【11 BTC】 worth of ID cards and collaborative artworks.
——"These items carried the weight of my journey, but now they should inspire others,"—— Ulbricht wrote in the auction description, noting his transition from incarceration to a new nomadic lifestyle. The sales proceeds will reportedly fund his travel plans and advocacy work.
A single prison ID card featuring Ulbricht's defiant smile became the auction's crown jewel, commanding 【11 BTC】 (approximately $1.1 million). The image captures a rare moment of resilience — "The guard demanded a neutral expression, but my spirit refused to comply," Ulbricht recalled of the 2015 photograph taken at an Arizona federal prison.
Equally noteworthy was a 1.01 BTC ($100,000) bid for "The Passage," a painting created with fellow inmate "Omega." The abstract work symbolizes Ulbricht's psychological endurance during his decade-long sentence, described by the artist as "a tunnel leading toward hope."
Blockchain analysts uncovered 【430 BTC】 ($47 million) in potentially untouched wallets linked to Ulbricht's early Silk Road operations. Coinbase executive Conor Grogan identified the dormant assets through forensic analysis, while Arkham Intelligence verified 【14 addresses】 containing funds that escaped government seizure during the 2013 investigation.
The auction's Bitcoin-only payment model — with PayPal exceptions for smaller amounts — reflects Ulbricht's continued crypto advocacy. Winners have until June 2 to complete transactions, with 1% bid deposits ensuring serious participation.
This unprecedented sale merges criminal justice history with digital collectible markets, creating a new category of "crypto-physical" artifacts that bridge Web2 and Web3 eras. As Ulbricht's possessions change hands, they carry forward the complex legacy of Bitcoin's most infamous entrepreneur.