Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has expressed his disagreement with the sentencing of Roger Ver. In an X post, Buterin expressed “Going to prison for the rest of your life over non-violent tax offenses is absurd. The case against Roger seems very politically motivated”
The former CEO of Bitcoin.com, Roger Ver is facing a significant legal battle due to $50 million in tax evasion allegations.
Detained in Spain in 2024, Ver is currently fighting extradition to the United States, where U.S. authorities have asked for a 109-year prison sentence.
Buterin Highlights Unfair Sentencing For Ver
Buterin was also quick to point out that the sentencing that Ver is about to receive is completely disproportinate.
According to Buterin, “There have been plenty of people and corporations who have been accused of far worse and yet faced sentences far milder than what Roger is facing.”
He adds, “The argument that the flashlight on him is motivated by things he said (namely, his advocacy of freedom and refusal to accept legitimacy of coercive state power) seems compelling. This is worth standing against, because selective prosecution for unrelated offenses is a common way of circumventing protections like the First Amendment (or in more authoritarian countries, even more basic things like the moral prohibition against punishing people for the crimes of their family members)”
Also Read: Elon Musk Rejects Roger Ver’s Pardon Request, Cites Ver’s Giving Up U.S. Citizenship As The Reason
Buterin Highlights Flaws in US Tax Regime
Buterin has also said that nearly no other nations in the world has the same tax-by-citizenship and exit tax scheme as the United States, and the latter is at the top end of the range of what other nations do (for example, the United Kingdom only levies capital gains taxes if you return within five years).
When someone makes a mistake in good faith, they should be given the chance to repay taxes, if necessary, along with interest and penalties, rather than facing legal action, he also expressed.
Buterin Not The Only Crypto Person to Stand With Ver
The Ethereum co-founder is not the only person who has stood in support of Roger Ver. Previously, Ross Ulbricht had also shown his support for Roger Ver.
Ver’s case has garnered interest from both inside and outside the cryptocurrency community due to his long history of promoting Bitcoin and its potential to disrupt traditional banking systems.
However, when Elon Musk, who had earlier expressed empathy for Ver’s situation, decided against the possibility of a pardon, things took a sharp turn.
Roger Ver Tries Going For a Presidential Pardon
Ver, who renounced his U.S. citizenship years ago, has insisted that the charges against him are politically driven and related to his advocacy with cryptocurrencies. He has been a vocal critic of traditional financial institutions and an advocate of Bitcoin’s transformative potential.
Many people think that Ver’s outspoken participation in the cryptocurrency movement is the direct cause of his legal troubles.
Roger Ver, who is facing a major legal battle over $50 million in tax evasion charges, has made an appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump for help.