Roger Ver, a leading cryptocurrency advocate and early Bitcoin investor, has urged a US court to dismiss tax evasion charges filed against him. He is most popularly known as ‘Bitcoin Jesus’ among his 745,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter). 

Ver, 45, was arrested in February while attending a crypto conference in Barcelona. He is facing allegations of evading over $48 million in taxes and filing a false tax return.

Bitcoin Jesus Claims His Arrest Was Politically Driven

The charges are based on the sale of $240 million worth of cryptocurrencies and an “exit tax” linked to Ver’s renunciation of US citizenship in 2014. Prosecutors are seeking his extradition from Spain, where he awaits a court decision.

According to Bloomberg reports, Ver’s legal team has dismissed the indictment as politically motivated. They claim it represents the Biden administration’s heavy-handed approach to cryptocurrency enforcement. 

His lawyers argue the charges are part of a broader effort to regulate the sector through enforcement rather than clear policy measures.

Meanwhile, the case has drawn widespread attention in the cryptocurrency industry. Critics are accusing the US government of targeting high-profile crypto figures to set an example. 

“His crime? He didn’t commit one, but that doesn’t matter in the age of American Lawfare. What Roger did do was promote a revolutionary decentralizing technology that radically empowers citizens,” popular author Bret Weinstein wrote on X (Formerly Twitter)

Ver has been a vocal critic of US crypto regulation. He has long advocated for decentralized financial systems and the adoption of Bitcoin as a global currency.

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Author: Mohammad Shahid