As Ulbricht awaits his fate in a New York federal penitentiary, supporters still treat him as a cause celebre. This week, a group of them launched a new Indiegogo campaign to bolster his legal defense fund. Framing the case in political terms, they argue that its outcome is "tremendously important" for Internet privacy, civil liberties, and regulation of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, which was the coin of the realm on Ulbricht's alleged internet storefront, Silk Road.
Fundraisers also contend that federal prosecutors have spoon-fed accounts of six murder-for-hire plots to the press, claiming that Ulbricht helped mastermind them. As a result, they say, Ulbricht was crucified before receiving a fair trial. In reality, supporters argue, his crimes are "legally unsubstantiated and morally innocuous."