Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has publicly questioned the US arrest and sentencing of Roger Ver, known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” calling the sentence handed down for alleged tax crimes “absurd” and politically motivated.
Ver, a prominent advocate of Bitcoin Cash (BCH), has long been a critic of government control and taxation policies in the U.S. Buterin suggested that Ver was being unfairly targeted because of his vocal opposition to coercive government power and his advocacy of financial freedom.
“It’s ridiculous to spend the rest of your life in prison for nonviolent tax crimes,” Buterin said. “The case against Roger seems very politically motivated; there have been many people and companies accused of much worse crimes, as with Ross Ulbricht, and sentenced to much lesser sentences than Roger is facing.”
Buterin also argued that selective prosecution of political opponents in the United States is a common tactic used by governments to suppress dissent. Buterin expressed concerns about the U.S. tax system, particularly the citizenship-based taxation model and high exit taxes, which he described as “excessive” and “harsh” compared to other countries.
“The US citizenship tax and associated exit tax regime is extreme; the former is shared by almost no other country in the world and the latter is at the high end of what countries do,” Buterin said, citing the UK’s capital gains tax rule as a milder alternative.
Buterin concluded his remarks by stating that tax-related offences should be dealt with through financial penalties and compensation rather than criminal prosecution.
*This is not investment advice.
