- The DoJ has indicted Roger Ver over tax charges.
- Ver may die in prison if convicted.
- Supporters accuse US authorities of extreme overreach.
Roger Ver has long divided opinion in the crypto world. While critics accuse him of exploiting Bitcoinโs brand with Bitcoin Cash, a network emphasizing scalability over Bitcoinโs store-of-value narrative, others recognize him as Bitcoinโs first true evangelist, championing its potential long before figures like Michael Saylor arrived on the scene.
In April, Roger Ver was arrested in Spain on tax evasion charges linked to his 2014 renunciation of US citizenship and alleged unpaid taxes on 70,000 BTC from selling his companies. Supporters claim the case is politically driven, reflecting the prior administrationโs aggressive stance on crypto. But with new leadership poised to take office, calls to dismiss the charges are gaining traction.
Roger Ver Faces 109 Years in Prison
In April, the crypto community was shocked when Roger Ver was indicted on mail fraud and tax evasion charges, fueling concerns about government overreach and the โWar on Crypto.โ With Donald Trumpโs election victory, supporters see a window of opportunity to push for the charges to be dismissed.
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Bitcoin SV advocate Kurt Wuckert Jr weighed in, acknowledging past disagreements with Ver but calling the charges unjust. โHe doesnโt deserve to be imprisoned over what amounts to a difference of opinion on a gray area in the tax code,โ Wuckert Jr said, describing the case as a targeted attack by โenemies of freedom.โ
Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson added his voice, framing the case as an unprecedented example of government overreach. Hoskinson noted that Ver had paid significant exit taxes after renouncing his US citizenship in 2014, but ten years after the fact, he is now facing up to 109 years in prison.
Hoskinson urged followers to support the Free Roger petition while crediting Verโs early Bitcoin advocacy as pivotal to today’s crypto industryโs success.
Bitcoin Has Strayed
The Free Roger campaign website describes Verโs case as โan alarming misuse of power,โ arguing that it reflects an attempt to suppress innovation and dissent in the crypto industry. At the time of writing, the petition advocating for Verโs release has gathered 2,976 signatures.
Verโs arrest coincided with the release of his book, Hijacking Bitcoin: The Hidden History of BTC, which outlines his claim that Bitcoin began as a tool for financial freedom and resistance to centralized fiat systems, but was corrupted. According to Ver, insiders have turned BTC into a centralized operation that now serves the very institutions it was created to challenge.
In an interview with the Bitcoin Takeover Podcast shortly before his arrest, Ver expanded on this critique, arguing that BTCโs current narrative has veered far from its original purpose. What began as a tool for self-sovereignty and reduced government interference is now championed by figures like Michael Saylor as a vehicle for compliance and taxation.
Summing up his views, Ver declared, โBitcoin was never meant to be a get-rich-quick scheme; it was supposed to be a get-free-quick scheme.โ
On the Flipside
- The timing of Ver‘s arrest coincided with a broader pattern of crypto enforcement actions by US authorities, including charges against the Samourai Wallet devs.
- Ver was released from prison on May 17 after posting โฌ150,000 ($163,000) bail.
Why This Matters
With Ver potentially facing over a century behind bars for tax interpretations from a decade ago, his case has become a rallying cry that transcends crypto tribalism.
Learn more about Bitcoin Cash here:
What Is Bitcoin Cash?
Michael Saylor says thereโs room for altcoins.
Bitcoin Maxi Saylor Softens Stance on Altcoins, Sort Of
