Vitalik Buterin, co -founder of Ethereum, broke the silence and raised his voice in support of Roger see, mainly known for being one of Bitcoin’s first investors (BTC) and, later, Bitcoin Cash.
In a overwhelming message, Bugerin said that sending someone for life for non -violent tax crimes is disproportionate and He suggested that the case could be tinged with political motivations.
Roger Ver faces accusations from the United States Department of Justice since April 2024. The authorities indicated by tax evasion, postal fraud and presentation of false statements.
See passed the prison in Spain
According to the investigation, Ver, who lived in Santa Clara, California, managed two computer and networks companies. As of 2011, it began to invest in Bitcoin and to promote its use.
Later, he resigned from his American citizenship, a step that, according to the Internal Tax Service (IRS), forced him to report capital gains for the sale of his global assets, including his bitcoins.
The accusation estimates that these actions They generated a loss of at least 48 million dollars for the American treasury. After issuing an arrest warrant, the Spanish authorities arrested him in 2024.
Then, Ver paid 150,000 euros (about USD 163,000) to the Spanish justice, which allowed him to leave prison on May 17, 2024
For its part, Bugerin argued that there are precedents of more serious cases with less severe sanctions.
In addition, he questioned the US tax system, highlighting that its citizen -based regime and the output tax are unusual against global standards. In this regard, he pointed out that, if the IRS obtained privileged information intimidating the lawyers to see, This would constitute an act of bad faith that violates basic rights.
Voices of the past bind to clamor
To this controversy is added Ross Ulbricht, creator of Silk Road, who also came out in defense of seeing.
Freed in January 2025 after a pardon by Donald Trump, Ulbricht wrote: «Roger see was by my side when I needed help. Now Roger needs our support ».
From their perspective, no one should face life sentence for taxes and advocated a simple solution: to see pay what is owed, if applicable, and the matter is closed.
Ulbricht, who spent more than a decade in prison, has become an icon for those who criticize state intervention.
Meanwhile, the figure of see does not go unnoticed. Known as one of the first to bet on Bitcoin, His efforts to spread the currency through conferences and investments positioned him as a reference.
Roger is also one of the main defenders that Bitcoin must have a larger block chain to increase its transaction time. Therefore, he supported the development of the Bitcoin Cash alternative currency. This generated a lot of rejection by several members of the Bitcoiner community.
A future in the balance
The confrontation between Roger Ver and the US authorities puts uncomfortable questions on the table.
How far does the line between fiscal responsibility and individual freedom reach? The intervention of Buterin and Ulbricht amplifies an argument that transcends cryptocurrencies and touches sensitive fibers about justice and power.