The project is based on a two-part Wired magazine article by Joshua Bearman. It concerns the true story of how Ross William Ulbricht, a 29-year-old who built an Amazon-like online market for illegal goods (called the Silk Road), slowly morphed into an alleged murderous kingpin.
Filma balstīta uz tehnoloģiju žurnālā "Wired" divos turpinājumos publicētu rakstu par to, kā Ross Viljams Ulbrihts 29 gadu vecumā izveidoja virtuālo "Zīda ceļu", kur pirkt un pārdot nelikumīgas preces un pakalpojumus.