He kept all the keys in a file on his desktop called "keys.txt"

He really, seriously did. Ross Ulbricht is one of the stranger mixes of smart and stupid the world has ever seen.

For anyone who missed the rise and fall of the original Silk Road like I did (judging by recent posts in the sub there seem to be a number of us), Wired did a two-part article series in June of last year that lays out the whole thing in detail.

Part One

Part Two

I usually don't think much of Wired (Verto and Kimble, 2015's most wanted) but their account of the takedown of the first Silk Road is instructive, if a bit overbaked in the writing. It's a good read, and it's actually a pretty good primer to get familiar with the basic workings and terms of the DNMs today -- in the course of the article the writers explain bitcoin, PGP, TOR, etc in layman's terms, and fairly accurately as far as I can tell. It's going to be interesting to hear from people in this sub who were around when it all actually happened, there's usually a certain amount of fact-checking. And while the two parts together are a longish article, it's definitely not boring, there is some jaw-dropping shit in there. For instance, not only is the infamous keys.txt for real, Ross also kept a second file on his desktop, emergency.txt, where he detailed his escape plan if caught; figuratively, it was "burn down house, move to Belize."

As well, anyone who lives in the United States and cares about their safety, privacy, and the future of their country should read this story just to learn who Carl Mark Force IV is and what he did, then google and read some more. Then please, please, go out and get involved in your local government at the town or city level, or at least be sure to stay informed on local issues and vote. Many communities without a citizen-run police oversight committee have made grassroots efforts and gotten one started, and they matter. We're running out of time to watch the watchmen.

A lot of that Wired story is really funny, it's hilarious when it comes to Ross' stupidity, the cops' cupidity, coke-dealing Mormon grandpas, frosty@frosty, those corny-ass Flash illustrations on the article itself if you want to get meta, just in general everyone's lucky and unlucky breaks as they all run headlong into the possibilities and perils of so much new technology all at once. But keep in mind there's just as much high tragedy in the fall of Silk Road as low comedy, on a global as well as a personal scale. There is no reason why we as citizens of the USA -- as citizens of the world -- should listen unmoved to a man barely out of his twenties who pleads in vain with the court to "please leave me my old age" as he is sentenced to life without parole for non-violent, victimless crimes, any more than if he were being sentenced to death. Remember what happened to Ross and use your vote, use your political strength. Demand an end to the war on drugs.


Comments


[121 Points] polaroidandroid1:

He's said a million times in his statements that he did not expect SR to become so big, that he did not realize the gravity of the whole ecosystem he had built.

There was nobody posting encryption tips on reddit back then. Nobody advocating anonymity like now. Heck, BTC prices were just starting to pick up, they were $10 a coin.

His sacrifice ultimately is a lesson for all of us, he will always be a shinning star.

Don't label his mistakes 'stupidity'.


[16 Points] young_k:

Thanks for the PSA - I just renamed my keys.txt file to Trash.txt

They will never think to look here. I got em!


[5 Points] hilltopbandaids:

It's not as dumb as you're making it out to be. It was encrypted. The police only had it because they snagged it from him while it was decrypted.


[3 Points] METH_HEAD_MIKE_222:

OP, Man landed on the moon. This is old as fuck and pointless. Every DNM can be thankful they can learn from the mistakes of silk road, because Ross didn't have that luxury.


[3 Points] throwoverthetowel:

hmm so youre saying im a champ like ross ulbricht cuz i do that too


[3 Points] powerman15:

Hindsight is always 20/20.


[2 Points] None:

frosty@frosty

Thought that was like EmeraldTriangle or some shit


[2 Points] None:

extremely intelligent person, extremely naive street wise.


[1 Points] None:

Where else would you keep em?????


[1 Points] None:

[deleted]


[1 Points] jeremysdemo:

have any of the newer markets learned from SR mistakes? we have crashed and exit scams just about every month. maybe that is the plan, moss does not grow on a rolling stone, so keep moving.


[1 Points] None:

RemindMe! 5 days


[1 Points] realstonned:

Man I do miss those $4 bitcoins


[-4 Points] Purpledominoes:

use your vote, use your political strength. Demand an end to the war on drugs.

You implying the elections aren't rigged? Sorry mate...