The belongings of the founder of the darknet marketplace Ross Ulbricht were sold at auction for a significant amount of bitcoins.
Ulbricht, who was released this year thanks to a pardon from US President Donald Trump, decided to auction off 13 prison-related items. The auction was a success, raising $1,8 million worth of BTC. The highest bidders paid for:
- The prisoner card that Ross used from 2024 to 2025 ($574,321 at current exchange rates);
- Prison Notebook ($110,687);
- Prisoner card for the period from 2019 to 2021 ($105,466).
The most expensive lots sold at auction
In addition to personal items such as a drum and backpack, Ross sold three paintings he had done with another inmate, Omega, who taught Ross how to paint with oils at the Tucson Maximum Security Prison.
The auction took place during the conference. Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas, which was attended by Ross, who commented on his appearance at the event as follows:
Ten years ago, I was sentenced to die in prison [life imprisonment]. Instead, I was released and spoke publicly for the first time. I wore a red tie as a tribute to Donald Trump, the man who saved my life.
