A donation of 300 BTC to the charity account: blockchain detectives unravel the founder of Silk Road's crypto transfers

Cryptographic analysis revealed unusual activity: the wallet of the charity project FreeRoss.org, associated with the interests of Ross Ulbricht, received a large transfer of 300 bitcoins. At current rates, this is approximately $31.4 million, considering BTC is trading at $90.66K.

Unusual transaction chain led analysts to interesting conclusions

Initially, there was a hypothesis of a self-initiated transfer — allegedly Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous dark web marketplace Silk Road, might have moved hidden funds shortly before his sentencing. However, blockchain specialists’ investigation showed a different picture.

Analyst ZachXBT conducted a detailed study and discovered that the transfer is linked to two long-inactive bitcoin addresses (1Mp5hH and 1CNDW), which had activity in 2014 and 2019. Notably, from April to May 2025, these addresses began making significant transactions, sending funds through cryptocurrency anonymization services.

The analytical platform confirmed the findings

Experts from Arkham Intelligence, who tracked the movement of funds, verified the receipt of 300 BTC into the FreeRoss.org wallet. The organization uses the collected funds for Ulbricht’s legal defense and the development of initiatives in criminal justice reform. During the analysis, it was found that one of the addresses involved in the transfer chain was previously identified as potentially risky in Arkham Intelligence’s internal compliance systems.

Context and broader history

Ross Ulbricht himself, the convicted creator of a large-scale cryptographic black marketplace, previously called for clemency for a well-known figure in the cryptocurrency community, who is currently facing the threat of imprisonment on charges of financial crimes. This indicates ongoing attention to legal proceedings related to the cryptocurrency ecosystem and the mobilization of supporters through charitable channels.