Ross Ulbricht’s Emotional Bitcoin 2025 Speech: A Call for Unity and Hope

Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, recently pardoned after a decade in prison, made a heartfelt appearance at the Bitcoin 2025 conference. Ulbricht expressed deep gratitude to the Bitcoin community for their unwavering support during his incarceration, highlighting letters, advocacy, and fundraising efforts. "You never forgot me. You gave me hope," he told the crowd, visibly moved. Ulbricht also called for unity around Bitcoin’s core principles, emphasizing the resilience and solidarity of the community. The event took place against the backdrop of Bitcoin’s strong performance, with the BTC price at $106,000.97 USDT at the time of his speech. This moment marks a significant chapter in Bitcoin’s history, blending emotional reunion with a bullish outlook for the future of digital assets.

Ross Ulbricht Speaks at Bitcoin 2025: ’You Didn’t Forget Me’

Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, recently pardoned after a decade in prison, made an emotional appearance at the Bitcoin 2025 conference. Ulbricht expressed gratitude to the Bitcoin community for their unwavering support during his incarceration, citing letters, advocacy, and fundraising efforts.

"You never forgot me. You gave me hope," Ulbricht told the crowd, visibly moved. He called for unity around Bitcoin’s Core principles of freedom and decentralization, while marveling at technological advancements like AI and drones that emerged during his imprisonment.

The speech marked a dramatic moment for the cryptocurrency movement, with Ulbricht’s release seen as symbolic of the industry’s growing influence. His remarks highlighted Bitcoin’s enduring role as a beacon for libertarian ideals and financial sovereignty.

Pakistan Joins Bitcoin Reserve Race as Global Government Holdings Decline

Pakistan has unveiled plans to establish a national bitcoin strategic reserve, positioning itself alongside early adopter nations like El Salvador. The move comes as global government BTC holdings drop 12.4% to 463,741 BTC since July 2024, according to CoinGecko data.

The US maintains its lead with 198,012 BTC in state custody, though recent liquidations suggest shifting treasury strategies. ’What began as asset seizures is evolving into deliberate reserve management,’ observes a Dubai-based crypto analyst tracking sovereign holdings.

Pakistan’s phased acquisition approach mirrors El Salvador’s dollar-cost averaging strategy rather than shock purchases. While the allocation size remains undisclosed, insiders confirm cold storage protocols matching institutional standards.

BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF Shatters Records with $6.2B May Inflows

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has cemented its dominance in the crypto ETF space, attracting a staggering $6.2 billion in inflows during May alone. This marks its best performance since its January 2024 launch, underscoring accelerating institutional adoption of Bitcoin as a legitimate asset class.

The fund demonstrated remarkable consistency, recording net inflows on 30 of May’s 31 trading days. A single-day haul of $481 million on May 28 exemplifies the unprecedented demand. With $72 billion in assets under management, IBIT now ranks among the world’s top 25 ETFs—a remarkable feat for a product less than six months old.

This surge reflects a broader paradigm shift. Institutional players from hedge funds to traditional asset managers are no longer treating Bitcoin as a speculative curiosity, but rather as an essential portfolio component. The crypto market’s maturation appears irreversible as regulated vehicles like IBIT bridge the gap between digital assets and mainstream finance.

HyperLiquid Trader Faces $100 Million Liquidation After Bitcoin Leverage Bet Collapses

A crypto trader’s audacious $1 billion leveraged Bitcoin position on Hyperliquid ended in a $100 million liquidation, marking one of the most spectacular blowups in recent derivatives trading history. The wallet, tagged to ’James Wynn’ by Arkham Intelligence, had maintained a 40x long despite Bitcoin’s stagnant price action.

Remarkably, the liquidation occurred within a mere 2% BTC price range—a rarity for high-leverage wipeouts. Pseudonymous analyst Pentoshi observed the trader ’kept trading poorly, getting chopped to 0’ without significant market movement. Hyperliquid’s blockchain records reveal the position began with a $3 million stablecoin deposit before its dramatic unraveling.

SEC Clarifies Crypto Staking Does Not Violate U.S. Securities Law

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance issued a staff statement late Thursday, clarifying that crypto staking—under certain conditions—does not implicate securities laws. The announcement marks a significant regulatory milestone for proof-of-stake networks, aligning their treatment with proof-of-work mechanisms like Bitcoin’s mining process.

Node operators, validators, custodians, and entities staking assets—whether independently or through third parties—fall outside the SEC’s enforcement scope. "The activities described do not involve the offer and sale of securities," the statement noted, echoing last month’s guidance on Bitcoin mining.

Lorien Gabel, CEO of staking firm Figment, described the guidance as "very clear for a subject that can be a little bit complicated." The MOVE effectively greenlights ancillary services like slashing insurance, potentially unlocking new institutional participation in staking ecosystems.