When the 'Bitcoin Jesus' Roger Ver is accused of tax evasion and facing a century-long prison sentence, yet turns around to pay $600,000 to Trump's ally for lobbying, is this a desperate bid for survival, or a carefully planned political game? In an era where crypto and politics are deeply intertwined, the signals behind this should not be overlooked.
Against the backdrop of ongoing turbulence in cryptocurrency regulation in the United States, Roger Ver, once hailed as the 'Bitcoin Jesus,' finds himself once again at the center of controversy. This early Bitcoin evangelist and founder of Bitcoin.com is facing prosecution from the U.S. government due to allegations of mail fraud, tax evasion, and submitting false tax returns. According to official documents, he is accused of concealing assets, deceiving the IRS, resulting in at least $48 million in tax losses.
Faced with such heavy judicial pressure, Ver did not choose the traditional legal defense route, but instead attempted to reverse the situation through a more strategic 'political backdoor'—paying $600,000 to Trump's long-time political ally, influential strategist Roger Stone, hoping to rewrite his fate through political lobbying.
Crypto pioneers, how did they get caught in a tax evasion storm?
Ver's problem originated from his early holdings of a large amount of Bitcoin overseas, which he long failed to report to the U.S. tax authorities. He claims that Bitcoin did not have good liquidity at the time, and due to frequent legal changes, his 'exit' plan was difficult to execute, so it was not a subjective evasion of tax.
However, the U.S. Treasury and IRS are not buying it—they accuse Ver of willfully concealing assets and using complex pathways to transfer funds to undeclared companies and trust structures, thus evading the tax burden he should bear.
Ver himself stated on social media that his contribution is to 'promote the liberalization and global popularization of Bitcoin,' yet he now faces over 100 years in prison, a punishment that is 'disproportionate to his contributions.' In a public video, he even called for the Trump administration to provide him with a 'pardon,' attracting widespread attention from the crypto community.
$600,000 in lobbying, what is the political script behind it?
According to reports from the New York Times, Ver is pinning his hopes on the old fox of American politics—Roger Stone.
Stone was an important aide during Trump's campaign. Although it is officially claimed that he no longer participates in high-level government affairs, his influence within the core Republican circle remains significant.
According to disclosed lobbying registration documents, Ver hired Stone for lobbying activities targeting Congress this February, paying up to $600,000, aiming to influence lawmakers' stance on his case, seeking leniency in judicial treatment, and even facilitating a presidential pardon.
Interestingly, Stone publicly denied that he is lobbying the president on Ver's behalf: 'I have had no contact with Trump or senior government officials regarding his case.' But he admitted to being hired as a consultant and participating in the strategy formulation for Ver's case. This kind of 'half-lobbying' half-behind-the-scenes coordination is a typical manifestation of American political maneuvering.
Black Swan Alliance: Silk Road founder steps in to support.
The 'legendary prisoner' of the crypto world, Ross Ulbricht (founder of Silk Road), also voiced his support for Ver at this time. Ulbricht was sentenced to life imprisonment for creating the infamous black market trading platform 'Silk Road.'
Yet he continues to influence through social media even in prison, publicly thanking Ver for his support over the years: 'When I was at a low point, it was Roger who encouraged me. Now he needs help, and I hope everyone speaks up for him.'
This statement quickly resonated within the crypto community, and with Trump's recent more open attitude towards cryptocurrencies, more voices began to explore: If Trump returns to the White House, does Ver have a chance to be 'pardoned'?
Trump's attitude reversal, does the crypto space see a turnaround?
Since Trump initiated a 'crypto-friendly turnaround,' a series of high-profile statements have shocked the market—he has not only frequently engaged with NFTs and meme coins, but also hinted at revoking the SEC enforcement strategies from the Gensler era and providing more regulatory flexibility to platforms like Coinbase.
In such a policy climate, Ver's case may also become a test case for Trump's 'Crypto card.'
More importantly, the current 'crypto narrative war' is being rapidly weaponized—political speculators dominate the market through narratives, whales use policy information to layout in advance, guiding price fluctuations and completing low-buy high-sell strategies.
What insights does this hold for ordinary users?
Whether you support Ver or not, this incident sends a very clear signal:
Cryptocurrency is no longer a 'technical toy that evades regulation,' but is gradually entering the deep trading arena of global power and capital.
In this game field:
Regulatory policies and political statements become market barometers;
Whale investors capitalize on retail investors' psychological fluctuations;
Investment research and real-time risk identification capabilities become the key to victory.
At this time, utilizing AI-driven platforms like Mlion.ai for real-time news interpretation, on-chain whale tracking, and policy signal alerts becomes particularly important. When policies and markets are highly coupled, the technological information gap becomes a new space for profits.
Conclusion:
The redemption of the Bitcoin Jesus relies not just on technology and ideals, but on a reality script woven from $600,000, political lobbying, and crypto narratives.
And you, have you seen your direction clearly in the narrative tide that is surging?
Disclaimer: The above content is for information sharing only and does not constitute any investment advice. The market carries risks, and caution is advised when entering.
