Ross Ulbricht: Without unity and Decentralization, there is no freedom.

Gate News bot reported that Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web Silk Road, delivered an emotionally impactful keynote speech at the Bitcoin 2025 closing ceremony held in Las Vegas. This was his first public address since being released from prison in January of this year. He explained his three guiding principles—freedom, Decentralization, and unity—through a story.

In the keynote speech, Ulbricht, who has been free for four months, seems to still feel joy about it. In a video clip before he took the stage, snippets of Ulbricht's life outside of prison were playing on the screen—traveling, surfing, spending time with his wife—each clip filled with Ulbricht's smiles.

"How painful it is to lose freedom, how wonderful it is to gain freedom," Ulbricht said, thanking the cryptocurrency community for their efforts to secure his release. "I am free, and it is thanks to you. You made this moment possible... Thank you, thank you, thank you."

After spending more than a decade in prison, Ulbricht compared himself to Rip Van Winkle, admitting that he was incredibly shocked by the endless technological advancements since his incarceration.

He said, "Now dozens of new cryptocurrencies and blockchains are emerging, each with its own charm, and there are thousands more that I will never have time to understand. DeFi, Web3, and AI can help me cope with all of this. It's insane. Just a few months ago, when I had just come out of prison, I had never even seen a drone... Freedom, new technologies, and the feeling of having a future again, all these moments rush to my mind."

Source: CoinDesk