The “Bitcoin Jesus” nears closure of his tax case after months of legal battles in the United States.
Pioneering Bitcoin investor Roger Ver has reportedly reached a “provisional agreement” with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve criminal tax charges, according to the New York Times.
Ver, known in the community as “Bitcoin Jesus,” was arrested in April 2024 on charges of mail fraud, tax evasion, and filing false tax returns. At the time of his arrest, federal prosecutors claimed Ver had hidden his ownership of bitcoin from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), allegedly causing a loss of $48 million in tax revenue.
After living in Santa Clara, California, Ver renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014 following the acquisition of citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis.
According to the DOJ, even though Ver was no longer a U.S. citizen at the time, he was still legally required to report to the IRS and pay an “exit tax” on certain earnings, such as dividends from MemoryDealers.com Inc. and Agilestar.com Inc., both U.S.-based companies. Prosecutors allege that Ver failed to inform his accountant that he had received and sold bitcoin from MemoryDealers.com Inc. and Agilestar.com Inc. that year. As a result, his 2017 individual tax return did not report any gains nor did it include any taxes related to the distribution of bitcoin from those companies to him.
According to the New York Times, citing sources close to the matter, Ver is willing to pay a sum close to $48 million to the federal government. In exchange, criminal charges could be dropped if the entrepreneur accepts all terms of the deal.
The political context
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House this year, his administration has adopted a series of more favorable measures toward the digital asset sector. Among these actions are the shelving of investigations into companies like Coinbase and Binance, as well as the appointment of crypto-friendly figures to key federal agencies.
Trump also pardoned Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road, during his first days in office. Later, Ulbricht himself joined the campaign to “free” Ver as well.
“Roger Ver was there for me when I was down and needed help. Now Roger needs our support. No one should spend the rest of their life in prison over taxes,” Ulbricht wrote on X in February.
