It was months later, in February 2012, when the Silk Road went beyond being a faceless marketplace and began to develop a personality. Or rather, a persona. “Silk Road has matured, and I need an identity separate from the site,” the site’s anonymous administrator wrote. “I am Silk Road, the market, the person, the enterprise, everything. But I need a name.” He revealed the one he’d chosen: “Dread Pirate Roberts.”
