TruthLabs, a blockchain investigative analyst, has accused Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin of benefiting from Bitcoin seized from Ross Ulbricht’s Silk Highway pockets throughout Ethereum’s preliminary coin providing (ICO). The allegations emerged following an internet alternate between Buterin and Ulbricht on January 19, 2025.
Ulbricht, who’s serving a life sentence for working the Silk Highway market, took to X to make clear his non-involvement with meme cash bearing his title. Vitalik responded with a message of help, calling Ulbricht’s life imprisonment “absurd” and expressing hope for his freedom.
TruthLabs’ Allegations
Within the early hours of as we speak, TruthLabs posted a collection of claims alleging that Bitcoin from Ulbricht’s seized pockets was used to fund Ethereum’s ICO and the Ethereum Basis. They said that the downfall of Silk Highway and the confiscation of its property offered the monetary basis for Ethereum’s success.
In accordance with TruthLabs, Buterin was allegedly conscious as early as January 2014 that Ethereum’s ICO can be funded by Bitcoin linked to Silk Highway property and the collapsed Mt. Gox alternate. The submit criticized Buterin for not main efforts to help Ulbricht’s freedom, regardless of Ethereum allegedly benefiting from his imprisonment.
“Vitalik, your ICO, and your Basis’s wallets have been funded from Bitcoin that got here from Ross Ulbricht’s seized Silk Highway pockets,” TruthLabs wrote.
They additional condemned Buterin for permitting grassroots actions like Free Ross DAO to depend on public donations whereas offering solely minimal public help himself.
Broader Context and Response
Ross Ulbricht’s life sentence has lengthy been a contentious challenge, with supporters advocating for clemency and criticizing the severity of his punishment. Free Ross DAO, a decentralized fundraising initiative, has raised important funds to help Ulbricht’s authorized efforts.
Neither Buterin nor the Ethereum Basis has responded to the allegations on the time of writing. Nevertheless, the claims have reignited debates over the origins of Ethereum’s funding and the moral obligations of its management.
In the meantime, throughout the U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s marketing campaign, he made a pledge to the crypto group to free the Silk Highway creator, Ross Ulbricht, if re-elected. Notably, with Trump taking workplace as we speak, whether or not he’ll fulfill the promise stays to be seen.
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