Roger Ver, a prominent advocate for Bitcoin Cash, has publicly asked President Trump for a pardon regarding his tax evasion charges. He’s taken to social media to plea for this, claiming he’s a victim of “lawfare,” much like Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, who recently received a pardon.

Currently, Ver is waiting to be extradited to the U.S. He claims he faces a staggering “109 years” in prison for crimes he insists he didn’t commit. He believes U.S. authorities are unfairly targeting him.

However, opinions among crypto enthusiasts are mixed. Some believe he deserves the punishment, arguing that his actions warrant such a severe consequence. Others feel that no one should face life in prison for tax evasion.

Even Elon Musk weighed in on this. He stated, “Roger Ver gave up his U.S. citizenship. No pardon for Ver.” His comments caused a drop in Ver’s chances of receiving a pardon on prediction market Polymarket.

In response, Ver has released several videos asserting his innocence and urging Trump to grant him a pardon. This has sparked a divide between his supporters and those who think his claims are just for show.

In one of his videos from January 26, Ver used dramatic visuals of police sirens and American flags. He expressed his longing for America from his apartment in Spain, saying, “I was born an American. I am an American. And I will die as an American.” But he isn’t an American anymore, at least not officially.

Ver renounced his U.S. citizenship in 2014, opting for a passport from St. Kitts and Nevis. He cited ideological differences with the American government as his reason.

High-net-worth individuals who give up their U.S. citizenship face an “exit tax” based on their assets. Since Ver has significant Bitcoin holdings, he meets this threshold. The U.S. Treasury Department filed a complaint against him in 2024, alleging that he undervalued his assets to reduce his tax penalty. They also claim that the businesses he owned in the U.S. did not pay their proper taxes after he left.

In another video released on January 27, Ver argued that his case is not just about tax fraud. He claims it’s about political and ideological persecution by U.S. government agents. He believes “lawfare” is the reason for his current charges and his previous prison time.

Ver alleges that agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) targeted him after he criticized them for the Waco siege in 1993. He suggests this led to his federal prison term for selling fireworks without a license. Fearing further persecution, he decided to renounce his citizenship and move abroad.

After moving, Ver became a vocal supporter of cryptocurrency. He believes Bitcoin can facilitate transactions without a central authority, which he sees as a threat to existing power structures. He stated, “I knew when I began promoting Bitcoin that this is something so powerful that they’ll do whatever they can to stop it.”

Ver feels that his advocacy for Bitcoin has made him a target, leading to the current charges against him. The timing of his plea coincides with Trump commuting Ulbricht’s sentence. Supporters of Ver have drawn comparisons between their situations, suggesting that if Trump is serious about addressing government overreach, he should also pardon Ver.

However, there are significant differences between their cases. By the time Trump pardoned Ulbricht, he had already served a decade of a life sentence. The stakes were high.

Ver, on the other hand, has not yet been extradited to the U.S. He hasn’t even seen his first day in court. The “109 years” figure claimed by Ver’s team seems to represent the maximum sentence he could face if convicted on all counts.

Ulbricht had support from beyond the crypto community. His case was tied to the U.S.’s unpopular drug policies, which are increasingly being challenged. Public support for strict prohibitions is waning.

Further comparisons to Ulbricht fall flat when you consider that Ulbricht expressed remorse for his actions. In contrast, Ver seems intent on denying any wrongdoing, blaming the entire U.S. government for his issues.

The argument of “lawfare” also weakens when you think about the fact that Ver could potentially avoid prison by simply settling his tax obligations. Jameson Lopp, a Bitcoin advocate, pointed out that Ver likely had numerous chances to resolve his issues with the IRS, which generally prefers settlements over incarceration.

Lopp speculated that Ver might be refusing to pay out of principle. He previously stated that people should “never willingly cooperate with a government investigation.” Lopp also raised a question: “Why would someone who should be a billionaire refuse to pay a relatively small amount to stay out of prison? Maybe it’s because he can’t.”

Despite the controversy surrounding Ver, some critics don’t want to see him spend the rest of his life in prison. Bitcoin developer James O’Beirne remarked that while he found Ver odd during the blocksize wars, he doesn’t understand why people view him as having committed something egregious.

The X page for BitMEX Research acknowledged Ver’s contributions to the crypto space, even while listing his past mistakes.

Lopp, who called Ver’s situation a “political persecution ploy,” expressed hope that Ver would win his case. Still, he wouldn’t bet on it.

Betting markets like Polymarket don’t seem convinced that Ver will receive a pardon. As of now, the market estimates his chances of receiving a pardon at just 14% within Trump’s first 100 days.