President Donald Trump granted a pardon to Silk Road marketplace founder Ross Ulbricht, a promise he made to the cryptocurrency industry during his campaign.

On his second day back in office, President Donald Trump issued a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of dark-web marketplace Silk Road. Trump had pledged to free Ulbricht as part of a raft of promises made to the cryptocurrency community while on the campaign trail.

NEWLY-INAUGURATED US President Donald Trump has given the founder of dark web marketplace Silk Road a full and unconditional pardon. The decision has saved Ross Ulbricht from serving two life

US President Donald Trump says he has signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, who operated Silk Road, the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold. Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 in New York in a narcotics and money-laundering conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison.

Ulbricht operated the anonymous digital marketplace known as Silk Road when law enforcement arrested him. The pardon fulfills a campaign pledge Trump made to Ulbricht's Libertarian supporters.

Ulbricht was given two life sentences, plus 40 years for running a site that allegedly facilitated $183m in drug sales.

During his campaign, Trump promised to reduce Ulbricht's sentence "on day one" if re-elected, and garnered enormous support from Ulbricht's family and supporters.

President Trump announced Tuesday that he signed a full pardon for Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road founder who was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of running the dark web marketplace used to deal drugs.