Key figures in the cryptocurrency industry, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, are calling for a pardon for Donald Trump's former president Roger Ver, who was a Bitcoin evangelist.
Ver, known as the "Bitcoin Jesus", was arrested while attending a cryptocurrency conference in Barcelona, Spain in February 2024. He was indicted in the United States for evading more than $48 million in taxes and filing false tax returns.
Industry figures question legal motivation for prosecuting Roger Ver
Over the past few months, Vitalik Buterin and other industry figures have expressed concerns about the severity of Ver's prosecution.
Today, Buterin suggested that the authorities may be targeting Ver because of his outspoken views on personal freedom. He argued that the government should focus on recovering unpaid taxes rather than pursuing strict legal action.
"The case against Roger seems very politically motivated. Like Ross Ulbricht, there have been many people and companies accused of much worse offenses who received far lighter sentences than Roger is facing." - Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum co-founder
Considering this, the Ethereum co-founder suggested that the authorities should allow Ver to resolve the unpaid taxes instead of sending him to prison.
"Genuine good-faith mistakes should be dealt with by providing the opportunity to pay the taxes owed, including interest and penalties if necessary, rather than leading to prosecution." - Vitalik Buterin
Similarly, Ross Ulbricht, the former Silk Road operator who was recently pardoned, is also supporting Ver's case.
"No one should be in prison for life for a tax issue. If there are taxes owed, pay them and be done with it." - Ross Ulbricht
Ulbricht's supporters have long argued that his sentence was excessively harsh, and now many in the cryptocurrency industry see parallels in Ver's legal battle.
Kraken co-founder Jesse Powell suggested that the authorities are intentionally making Ver's life difficult and doubting the credibility of the charges.
"They actually don't like him and are trying to get him, and they'll use any excuse to make his life hell for as long as possible." - Jesse Powell
Meanwhile, Ver has appealed directly to former President Donald Trump, posting on social media that in January he wrote that the president's help was needed to achieve justice. He also shared a video explaining that he is a victim of political persecution.
Recently, he stated that his case has been politically motivated:
"I've always tried to pay what the law requires. This is not a tax issue."
Despite these efforts, the prediction market Polymarket shows only a 7% chance that Trump will pardon Ver within 100 days of taking office.
This low probability may be due to the position of Elon Musk, who is currently leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration, and has dismissed the possibility of a pardon.
The Tesla CEO argued that Ver forfeited his right to a pardon by renouncing his U.S. citizenship.
"Roger Ver has renounced his U.S. citizenship. There is no pardon for Ver. Membership has its privileges." - Elon Musk
Overall, the cryptocurrency community largely believes that Ver's prosecution is disproportionate to the charges. However, Ver's current residence in Spain may impact his appeal to the U.S. president.
