‘Bitcoin Jesus’ Roger Ver Discusses U.S. Extradition Case with Tucker Carlson

Bitcoin (BTC) backer Roger Ver, an early advocate for the cryptocurrency, could be extradited from Spain to the US on allegations of tax evasion. Ver, known as ‘Bitcoin Jesus’ for his role in championing cryptocurrency in its infancy, openly denies the charges and says the case is part of an attack on financial autonomy.

Last week, Ver appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show and argued that he thinks the charges are not tax-related but rather a backlash to years of advocating for decentralized financial systems. Ver added, “I think they’re not really angry about taxes at all.” But he argues that U.S. agencies have purposefully hindered Bitcoin’s original purpose as a peer-to-peer cash system, transforming it into what he sees as a speculative financial asset.

The Role of U.S. Intelligence in Shaping Bitcoin’s Narrative, According to Roger Ver

Roger Ver has maintained that he believes Bitcoin’s evolution from a means of obtaining financial freedom into a mainstream asset was no accident. In his book “Hijacking Bitcoin” he lays out his claims that intelligence agencies and institutional players played a role in sabotaging Bitcoin as an alternative to traditional currencies.

Ver told me that in addition censorship was applied to online platforms such as bitcointalk.org and r/bitcoin subreddit to squash the discussion about the broad usage of Bitcoin through scaling cryptocurrency, a process that requires gradual expansion of network capacity. U.S. intelligence agencies infiltrated these forums, he said, to spread narratives that would disrupt Bitcoin’s ability to function as a world currency.

During the interview, Carlson was intrigued by the ideological shift in cryptocurrency. “Bitcoin was meant to be the autonomy of your own money, but the promise has changed,” Carlson said. Ver said he has come to suspect this could have been arranged so people were trapped in a controlled financial system, and the patterns of interference he’s seeing confirm that suspicion.

In 2014, Ver renounced his U.S. citizenship and embraced St. Kitts and Nevis nationality, and has continued to insist he followed his tax obligations with legal help. He challenged the legality of the U.S. extradition request, insisting he was not a U.S. citizen at the times in question.

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Ver is optimistic despite the threat of a 109-year prison sentence if extradited and convicted. He praised his Spanish legal team, saying they are ‘confident’ they will be able to challenge the request. ‘I have quiet hope this will happen,’ he said.

Political Intervention: Ver Calls on Biden and Trump to Act on His Behalf

Ver has called on fans to read the evidence against him and has urged them to public advocate for his innocence. To that end, his team launched freerogernow.org, which features allegedly telltale documents, including a Motion to Dismiss, purportedly revealing a flawed U.S. government indictment. Ver urged people to see the materials for themselves, ‘don’t take my word for it.’

During an interview Carlson also questioned the implications of Spain cooperating with the U.S. extradition request, saying the charges were absurd on their face. Ver, however, said he believed his attorney’s diligence would see such an extreme move considered by Spain, although he questioned why Spain would do it. Ver stated:

President Biden can do the right thing. He just recently pardoned his own son. He can issue a preemptive pardon for me. Trump when he gets into office, if anyone knows what it’s like to be the victim of lawfare, it’s Trump. So I think he’ll be able to see it with this case as well. [Trump] can issue a preemptive pardon for me as well, and for a bunch of other people that deserve it.

Given the situation, Ver is still rallying support and the outcome of his case could potentially be a precedent for how our future relationship with fiat currencies, cryptocurrency and financial freedom looks. And he concluded: “The more people speak out, the safer all of us can be.”

Conclusion

Roger Ver’s legal battle exposes parts of cryptocurrency’s evolution and government oversight. The extradition gives Ver reason to be optimistic that Spain will reject the extradition, but he and public support it to expose what he alleges to be efforts to bully financial autonomy out of the way. But his case underscores the continuing battle between decentralization and central control.

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