Ross Ulbricht's conviction and life sentence for running a dark channel website for large-scale drug trafficking using the bitcoin currency has been affirmed by a unanimous federal appeals panel.

Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road website, had claimed he was denied a fair trial in 2015, and then wrongly refused a new trial, because he was blocked from submitting evidence on two corrupt undercover agents who used the investigation to enrich themselves with the anonymous virtual currency.

Ulbricht also said his Fourth Amendment rights were violated when federal agents obtained court orders for his home internet routing data, a critical step in matching Ulbricht's online activity with the use of his Silk Road alias, Dread Pirate Roberts.