In a move that has sparked debate, President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, who had been serving two life sentences plus 40 years for enabling the illegal trade of drugs and other illicit goods. People using his site traded in bitcoin to avoid detection.

Looking exhausted and relieved, the Silk Road founder said his release feels "amazing"—and that he now plans to spend time with his family.

The Silk Road founder could be one of the world's richest people if he gets his bitcoin back from the U.S government.

Ross Ulbricht, the dark-web marketplace founder pardoned by United States President Donald Trump, has spoken about his release from prison for the first time.

Law enforcement said Ulbricht created the “most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace” on the internet.

Ulbricht, 40, was about 10 years into his life sentence for helming an online black market where drug dealers, money launderers, and traffickers used bitcoins to mask more than $214 million in illicit trades. (Ars thoroughly documented the Silk Road saga here .)

Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 on charges related to his website, where users could buy and sell drugs and other illegal goods with bitcoin.

In 2015, a 31-year-old yoga enthusiast from Austin named Ross Ulbricht was found guilty of being the online drug kingpin “Dread Pirate Roberts.” Convicted on 7 counts, the judge sentenced him to life in prison. Trump pardoned Ulbricht on Tuesday and now he’s a free man after more than 10 years in custody.

Ross Ulbricht, 40, was serving two life terms plus 40 years for drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit money laundering and computer hacking when Donald Trump released him.

Hours after receiving a full pardon, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, convicted for running the notorious dark web marketplace, expressed gratitude to Donald Trump. Ulbricht hailed President Trump as 'a man of his word' after his release.

Ross Ulbricht, the recently pardoned mastermind behind the Silk Road online black market, posted a video Thursday praising Donald Trump and thanking him for his release. “Let it be known that Donald Trump is a man of his word,