Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz gave his personal take on the legal case against Roger Ver, one of Bitcoin’s early supporters and a controversial figure in the crypto space.
In a public post answering questions about the “Free Roger” movement, Schwartz described Ver’s treatment by U.S. authorities as a long-standing campaign that goes far beyond the recent charges. He says Ver has been “consistently persecuted” for years, even pushed into renouncing his U.S. citizenship, and now he’s being pursued over alleged underpayment of exit taxes.
Ver was arrested in Spain in May 2024 after the U.S. requested his extradition. Prosecutors say he hid over 131,000 BTC when he gave up his citizenship in 2014, meaning he didn’t pay nearly $50 million in taxes. He’s also facing charges of mail fraud and submitting false returns. Ver was released on bail and is staying in Spain while his extradition case is being decided.
Hidden truth
Schwartz said he couldn’t say everything he knows because of a non-disclosure agreement, but he made it clear that the real story is darker than it seems. “It’s way more evil than most people realize,” he wrote.
Also known as “Bitcoin Jesus” for his early support of BTC, Ver invested in key crypto startups like BitPay, Kraken, Blockchain.com and Ripple itself. Later on, he became a big supporter of Bitcoin Cash, which split from Bitcoin’s mainstream direction in 2017 over scaling disputes.
In Schwartz’s view, Ver’s actions, even the unpopular ones, came from conviction, not opportunism. “He thought it was the right thing to do,” he wrote. “And aligned with his pro-freedom values.”
The legal battle is still going on. But for some people, including Ripple’s CTO, it’s not just about taxes. It’s about a long history of ideological friction.
