PANews reported on May 30, according to CoinDesk, that Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, in his closing speech at the Bitcoin 2025 conference, used his childhood experience of clearing a beehive as a metaphor for the three principles that the crypto community should uphold: freedom, decentralization, and unity. He recalled, 'The wasps are strong because they are decentralized, but they fail due to a lack of unity,' emphasizing, 'Opponents most wish to see us divided.'
Ulbricht was granted a presidential pardon by President Trump in January 2025, ending his 12-year imprisonment. In his speech, he thanked the crypto community for speaking out for his release and candidly stated that facing the impact of new technologies such as DeFi and Web3 after being released was like a 'modern-day Rip Van Winkle.' Data shows that during its operation from 2011 to 2013, the darknet market Silk Road, which he founded, accounted for 6% of all Bitcoin transactions at that time.
