Roger Ver, nicknamed “Bitcoin Jesus”, made the headlines because many put pressure on his forgiveness. In a recent turn of events, the founder of Ethereum Vitalik Buterin intervened, calling on the government to release the worm.
Is it “politically motivated”?
Buterin, in a recent, expressed his concerns about the possible sentence for Roger Ver, who faces allegations of non -violent tax offenses. He argued that the case seemed to be politically motivated and that potential punishment was too severe for the nature of the accusations.
Buterin’s comments intervened after Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, publicly defended green and criticized severe sanctions for his so -called tax infractions. Ross Ulbricht previously shared an article on social networks saying that Roger Ver deserves support and that “no one should spend his life in prison on taxes”.
Ulbricht’s post on social networks called the unfair treatment of Ver. In particular, their support to each other drew the attention of legal experts, technological observers and people in cryptographic and libertarian communities.
Buterin said he was absurd for someone to spend his life in prison for non -violent tax offenses. He stressed that many people and companies accused of more serious crimes had suffered lighter penalties. Buterin argued that the support of Ver to the freedom and criticism of government power should not lead to a sanctions session, expressing his concern about equity in legal affairs involving taxes.
Buterin criticized selective proceedings, saying that it undermines constitutional rights, as the first amendment. He underlined tax policies of tax by citizenship and exit as extreme, noting that few other countries have similar rules. He compared them to the tax systems of other nations, such as the United Kingdom, which only charges capital gains if you return within five years.
In April 2024, the American IRS accused Ver of having escaped $ 48 million in taxes. He was arrested in Spain and is currently there, faced with potential extradition for the United States, where he was able to be sentenced to 109 years.
Buterin has also raised concerns concerning the reports that IRS put pressure on Green lawyers to reveal confidential information. He stressed the importance of protecting the right to privacy. Buterin suggested that people should be able to correct tax errors without dealing with perpetuity sentences.
“Authentic errors of good faith should be processed by giving the actor the possibility of reimbursing taxes if necessary with interest and penalties, and not with prosecution,” he shared.
Musk refuses to support Roger Ver
However, on the other hand, Elon Musk, the head of the Government Ministry (DOGE), refused to support Ver. Musk argued that because Ver has abandoned his American citizenship, he is no longer eligible for presidential forgiveness, as well as other rights and protections that accompany the American citizen.
These comments trigger a broader debate on equity in condemnation both in the world of cryptography and in the legal system, many now calling for more balanced legal policies.
