Ross Ulbricht’s supporters launch ConstitutionDAO-style project.

The PleasrDAO project created a DAO to purchase Ross Ulbricht’s NFT collection released by the Silk Road founder.

In 2015, Ulbricht was found guilty of running the Silk Road and other crimes and sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years. A Free Ross Ulbricht campaign led by his mother, friends and supporters fights for his release.

announced the release of the NFT collection in late November. The Ross Ulbricht Genesis Collection includes 10 of his drawings, created at different stages of life, and an animated short — a collaboration with NFT artist going by the alias LΞViT∆TE.

The group listed the collection for sale on the SuperRare platform. The auction began on December 2. It is expected that the proceeds will go toward supporting Ulbricht’s release and other prisoners.

“I’m just getting bits and pieces from here in prison, but it seems that what we’re doing with these NFTs has strong support. I express deep and heartfelt gratitude to the community,” Ulbricht wrote.

The PleasrDAO team decided to participate in the auction and provide a collective opportunity for all wishing to join via the created DAO.

“Ross Ulbricht founded Silk Road, introduced hundreds of thousands of people to cryptocurrency, and was sentenced to a disproportionate prison term. Today we unite in solidarity with Ross, raising funds to buy his Genesis Collection and protesting the injustices of the American prison system,” the statement said.

If the auction is won, all FreeRossDAO participants will own a stake in the NFT, proportional to their contribution. The organisation outlined its aims as follows:

• to liberate Ross;
• to advance prison reform;
• to acquaint the public with Ulbricht’s work.

The organisers expect to devote the funds that remain in the treasury after the auction to this effort.

PleasrDAO contributed 240 ETH and pledged further support. As of writing, FreeRossDAO had raised 849.177 ETH, and the current bid stood at 261 ETH. The auction will close on December 8.

In November, a group of crypto enthusiasts launched the ConstitutionDAO project as a DAO. The organization planned to buy at Sotheby’s a rare first edition of the United States Constitution. Within a week, the community raised more than $40 million in Ethereum, but the DAO failed to win. The buyer (per the press – Citadel CEO Ken Griffin) paid $43.2 million for the document, including fees.

The DuneDAO attempt to purchase at Christie’s a rare printed version of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s unreleased film Dune ended in failure. The DAO raised far less than the final bid, and one of the project’s co-founders bought the lot.

Elon Musk described Ulbricht’s sentence as “unduly harsh.”

According to the press, former U.S. President Donald Trump, before leaving the White House, considered granting clemency to the Silk Road founder, but Ulbricht was not included in the final list of 73 people.

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