Roger Ver, an early bitcoin (BTC) investor who was as soon as often called “Bitcoin Jesus” for his assist of the cryptocurrency, was indicted for alleged tax fraud final yr and might be sentenced to life in jail.
Now, many trade veterans are coming to his assist, together with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who referred to as the potential sentence “absurd.”
“Going to jail for the remainder of your life over non-violent tax offenses is absurd,” Buterin mentioned on a social media put up. “The case in opposition to Roger appears very politically motivated; like with Ross Ulbricht, there have been loads of folks and firms who’ve been accused of far worse and but confronted sentences far milder than what Roger is dealing with.”
Going to jail for the remainder of your life over non-violent tax offenses is absurd. The case in opposition to Roger appears very politically motivated; like with @RealRossU, there have been loads of folks and firms who’ve been accused of far worse and but confronted sentences far… https://t.co/7G3zDkn2F2
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) March 1, 2025
His phrases come after Silk Highway founder Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in jail for creating the darknet market and later pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump, confirmed assist for Ver, saying nobody ought to “spend the remainder of their life in jail over taxes.”
Equally, Kraken founder Jesse Powell has argued in Ver’s protection. “The fact is, they only don’t love him they usually wish to get him, and they’re going to use any excuse they will to get him or make his life hell for so long as they will.”
Ver and his authorized staff are difficult the case, arguing that the costs introduced in opposition to him are politically motivated.
