The man they called “Bitcoin Jesus”

- Roger Ver

- early Bitcoin investor and evangelist

- founder of MemoryDealers

one of the first to accept BTC for real products

2011

- buys Bitcoin at ~$1

- invests in early crypto startups like BitInstant and Kraken

“Bitcoin will change the world”

2014

- renounces US citizenship

- moves to St. Kitts

- avoids US tax system

2017

- supports Bitcoin Cash

- calls it the real Bitcoin

community splits

2022

- accused of $47M debt with CoinFLEX

- legal battle follows

- settles later

2024

- arrested in Spain

- charged by US authorities

- tax evasion linked to early BTC gains

2025

- reaches agreement with DOJ

- pays ~$50M in taxes, penalties and interest

- avoids prison

July 2025

- 80,000 BTC move after 14 years

~$8.7B

rumors start “it’s Roger Ver”

reality, there’s no proof

2025- 2026

- launches FreeRoger campaign

- claims political persecution

- appeals publicly to Trump

- promotes his book

- Hijacking Bitcoin

early Bitcoin visionary

but also one of the most controversial figures in crypto

both can be true at the same time