🔐 The Silk Road Shutdown: Bitcoin’s Dark Origins Exposed
In 2013, the FBI shut down Silk Road, a darknet marketplace where users bought drugs, weapons, and illegal services — all paid for using Bitcoin. This event marked the first time the mainstream world truly discovered Bitcoin, but in the worst possible light.
🕵️ Operated by Ross Ulbricht under the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts,” Silk Road processed over $1.2 billion in transactions. It popularized BTC as a privacy tool but also drew global attention to crypto’s use in illicit trade.
⚖️ Ulbricht was arrested in a San Francisco library and later sentenced to two life terms + 40 years with no parole. The U.S. government seized over 170,000 BTC, much of which was auctioned off later.
🌐 While controversial, Silk Road sparked the first global debate on privacy, censorship, and the true power of decentralized money.
🏷️ #SilkRoad
