Great joy to see Ross Ulbricht a free man!!! I KNEW this day would come, and for once, I LOVE being able to say TOLD YOU SO! 
HUGE SHOUT OUT and THANKS to every single activist who helped keep hope alive for Ross. Whether you prayed for him, wrote letters, signed and shared the petition, called in to radio shows, donated, made billboards, told someone about his plight, pressurized Trump, tweeted, asked countless politicians uncomfortable questions, held posters in winter storms, hugged Lyn when she needed it, and more… Whatever YOU did helped bring us to today, and together…
We did it!
Getting what you want can sometimes feel hollow, but not in this case. To see Ross walk free, with his little green plant, made my heart soar. It is testament to Lyn’s relentless dedication, and to countless hours of human action from a small band of people who decided this injustice will not stand!
We did it!
I know Ross needs real rest. I understand he needs to regroup and realign his life. When the dust settles, I can’t wait to welcome Ross Ulbricht to the Free State!
Ross, I hope you will plan to attend Liberty Forum in late April, from where I spoke to you on the phone many, many moons ago now. And of course, PLEASE do come to PorcFest in June–so many people have already asked me if you will!
We Free Staters have stood steadfast with you. We are thrilled for you. Can’t wait to see what your future holds. Much love from New Hampshire! 
Have YOU bought your tickets for Porcupine Day IX yet? Use code PRE30 for Porcupine Real Estate’s limited time 30% off. Yes, my broker is making cheaper for you, but remember, if you can afford it, this is a fundraiser for the Free State Project, so be generous if you can!
This post earlier reminded me of the story below. But the important takeaway here is: Life is insanely good. Stop catastrophizing about everything, and LIVE!
See: https://twitter.com/HumanProgress/status/1882401767251423545
Tru story: When I was hiking to Annapurna’s base camp in Nepal in 2002 (10th highest mountain in the world), we were skinny and constantly hungry, and there’s only so much dal bhat you can eat.
In a hamlet on the descent, there were chickens roaming in the yard.
I wanted to eat one of those chickens.
The negotiations that ensued, me a high-tech, Silicon Valley lawyer having worked on multi-million dollar deals, and the Nepali man of the house who ultimately needed his wife and children’s blessings to slaughter said chicken, were impressive.
The eventual cost of this luxury? $22.
Given a rustic hostel bed and cold shower went for $2.50, you understand the value of that chicken.
As with all things in life, the devil is in the details. Had I understood the fine print in our “we don’t speak the same language but I will point at your chicken and lick my lips until the water buffaloes come home” negotiations, I might have understood we were splitting the chicken “halvies,” but our half was the dark meat, and their half was everything else.
I didn’t even care.
I watched the husband chase down that old bird with an axe and kill it before my eyes–it really does keep running like a “headless chicken”–and waited patiently, sniffing the air until dinner time for that glorious meal.
Best finger-licking-chicken… curry I’ve ever had!
It’s not often that a nigh-impossible hurdle is overcome… but here we are! President Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, thereby keeping his campaign promise made to Libertarians. Righting the wrong of Ross Ulbricht’s over-sentencing is the start of the Rise of Real Crypto, but we must now focus on the plights of crypto-pioneers Ian Freeman and Roger Ver who are similarly facing disproportionate sentences for the crime of “cryptoing.” I also talk briefly about upcoming Right-to-Know bills, and why the Manchester po-po knocked on my door after midnight.
I teared up at this. Freeing Ross has been more than a dozen years of work for many activists like me who have been supporting his plight and the efforts of his mother, Lyn, from the start.
Little known facts:
The Free State Project was one of the first organizations (if not the first) to platform Lyn. I originally got a lotta shit for supporting a “criminal,” but I Honey Badgered that sitch. I personally spoke to Ross on the phone from prison during Liberty Forum 2016 (he promised to attend one of our events one day–open invitation, obvi). I’ve done radio interviews, a Ross-a-thon, blog posts, countless “Free Ross” tweets, sent cards and letters, and done talks where I made the audience cry, to spread the word. Lyn had a “broken heart attack” years ago because of the strain of fighting to #FreeRoss. Over the years, because of our large crypto-libertarian community in NH, we’ve kept Ross’s story alive. During Trump’s run in 2016 and 2020, we made questions about Ross a priority. And then we doubled-down with help from the Libertarian Party and Angela McArdle in this last race. Because of NH’s FITN primary, over more than a decade, Free Staters would ask candidates stumping about Ross, creating news stories to keep the pressure on. Every event hosted by the FSP since Ross Ulbricht was arrested and incarcerated has had a “Free Ross” element.
I believed from the start this day would come. And here we are. I appreciate everyone who believed. Everyone who said it IS possible. I know Lyn kept her faith and mine is restored: Thank God when Ross walks free.
A bit of a cheat day for me, but I showed a $1,200,000 horse farm right before this, and was beat. Also, Ian Underwood of the Bardo crew and Croydon school showdown (see this NBC docuseries), is always worth listening to. You don’t have to agree with every word someone says; you do need to consider things for yourself. Restore common sense!