Key Takeaways
- David Bailey is actively advising Donald Trump’s campaign on establishing a pro-Bitcoin platform
- Bailey said Trump could pardon Ross Ulbricht and Roger Ver if elected.
- The Campaign includes a proposed executive order on cryptos for Trump’s potential first day back in office if re-elected.
- The community’s support is more anti-Joe Biden than actively pro-Trump.
David Bailey, CEO of Bitcoin Magazine, has revealed his involvement with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Bailey mentioned that Donald Trump might consider pardoning Roger Ver and Ross Ulbricht if he is re-elected.
Trump Could Pardon Ver and Ulbricht
Bailey, along with his team, has been advising Trump on crafting a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency-friendly platform. This, he claims, includes a crypto-focused executive order to be signed on his first day back in office.
However, he also said that there is a possibility that Trump, if elected, pardons Ross Ulbricht and Roger Ver.
In 2020, on his final full day in office, Trump issued a series of pardons that included Steve Bannon, co-founder of Breitbart News, and rapper Lil Wayne. However, high-profile figures such as Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Ross Ulbricht did not receive pardons.
The presidential pardon allows for the forgiveness of any federal crime at any point during a president’s term. Perhaps the most famous example was when Gerald Ford pardoned former president Richard Nixon in 1974 following his resignation over the Watergate scandal.
Silk Road Founder Serving Life Without Possibility of Parole
Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, an early darknet drug marketplace that used the Tor network and cryptocurrencies to obscure users’ identities and transactions, also remained unpardoned. Ulbricht is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He has, however, garnered a measure of public sympathy, with a Change.Org petition advocating for his pardon attracting over 383,000 signatures to date.
Despite this, and reports from The Daily Beast that President Trump “expressed sympathy” for Ulbricht, he was not granted clemency.
Roger Ver Arrested But Not Charged
United States authorities have recently arrested Roger Ver, former CEO of Bitcoin.com, on charges of mail fraud, tax evasion, and filing false tax returns. Ver, who previously renounced his American citizenship, is now under the jurisdiction of the country he left.
The Department of Justice announced on April 30 that Ver was arrested in Spain over the previous weekend. He is facing extradition proceedings back to the United States.
If charged and convicted, Ver faces a wide range of potential imprisonment, from as little as two months to as much as 30 years, depending on the severity and outcome of the charges against him.
Bitcoin Supporters Lean Anti-Biden, Not Pro-Trump
Bailey also said that crypto supporters were more like to vote against Joe Biden than for Trump specifically.
As the next US presidential elections approach, Bitcoin is emerging as a significant topic. Bailey is working with Donald Trump’s campaign, advising on the development of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency-friendly policies. He said Trump would sign an executive order focused on cryptocurrency, on his first day if re-elected. However, he refuse to give specific details about Trump’s crypto executive order
Previously critical of Bitcoin, Trump recently shifted his stance. He now says his potential future administration will support Bitcoin.
$100 Million Campaign for Pro-Bitcoin President
Bailey emphasized the potential advantages of a crypto-friendly administration for the industry in the US. He also said his team would raise $100 million to fund a campaign aimed at ensuring the next President was pro-Bitcoin.
