Vitalik Buterin Joins Call for Roger Ver's Release in US Tax Dispute
1min read Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has joined a growing chorus of voices calling for the release of early crypto investor and entrepreneur Roger Ver, who is currently embroiled in a legal battle with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) over alleged tax evasion and faces extradition to the US.
Buterin reposted a message from Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, urging the prosecution against Ver to be dropped, and characterized the case as "absurd" and "politically motivated." Buterin went on to criticize the US tax-by-citizenship regime and the exit tax, stating that they are extreme and not shared by many other countries.
Ver's case comes amid increasing calls from US lawmakers and residents for comprehensive tax reform, which includes ending the income tax and abolishing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The DOJ case against Ver began on April 30, 2024, when the entrepreneur was arrested in Spain on tax evasion charges. After posting $163,000 bail on May 17, 2024, Ver was released from prison under the conditions that he remain in Spain, surrender his passport, and check in with court officials every two days.
In a legal filing from December 3, 2024, Ver's attorneys argued that the case was unconstitutional and moved to dismiss the charges. They characterized the exit tax law for US citizens with more than $2 million in investable assets as vague and violating the Apportionment Clause and the Due Process Clause of the US Constitution.
Crypto investors have criticized the DOJ for targeting Ver after he left the US, claiming that the case is part of the Biden administration's broader anti-crypto stance. Ver maintains that the US government is maliciously prosecuting him over his crypto advocacy, rather than tax-related matters.
