Known as the "Bitcoin Jesus," early Bitcoin investor Roger Ver recently gave an interview to prominent US media figure Tucker Carlson, discussing his ongoing legal disputes with the US government and his claims regarding the suppression of Bitcoin's original vision.
Roger Ver is facing life in prison for revealing how the US government worked secretly to subvert cryptocurrency and prevent economic freedom. More people should hear this story.(0:00) Roger Ver Facing Extradition(7:49) The Hijacking of Bitcoin(12:18) How the Government… pic.twitter.com/nchtsmsovn
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) December 10, 2024
Roger Ver renounced his US citizenship in 2014 and was arrested in Spain this April. US authorities are seeking his extradition on charges of tax evasion, mail fraud, and submitting false tax returns. However, Ver strongly refutes these accusations, believing that what truly displeases the US government is not the so-called tax issues, but his long-standing promotion of using cryptocurrency for financial autonomy.
Roger Ver has consistently argued that Bitcoin should operate as "peer-to-peer cash" and has criticized the leading cryptocurrency for being transformed into a speculative asset. He believes the early hopes of Bitcoin as a substitute for fiat currency were undermined by a collusion between intelligence agencies and institutional players.
Ver elaborated on these claims in his book published this year (Hijacking Bitcoin). Host Carlson pointed out the ideological shift in cryptocurrency and noted that Bitcoin originally promised freedom and control over one's money, but it feels different now. Carlson expressed his "great interest in how all of this happened."
In the interview, Ver claimed that US agencies are attempting to stifle the potential of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. He accused intelligence agencies of intervening early on to promote narratives that undermine Bitcoin as a medium of exchange. Ver asserted that online forums like the early Bitcoin forum bitcointalk.org and the Bitcoin subreddit r/bitcoin have been censored and manipulated, leading Bitcoin away from its original decentralized intent.
When asked if he believes Bitcoin was originally created by US intelligence agencies, Ver responded:
I don't think it was created this way at first, but I have my doubts. I do believe that intelligence agencies and other organizations have transformed and hijacked it, turning it into a financial trap.
Despite potentially facing 109 years in prison, Ver remains optimistic. He expressed hope that the Spanish court would reject the US extradition request and emphasized the need for public advocacy. He stated, "There are many ways to stop this, but I think the most effective way is to get the public to speak out. The more people speak out, the safer we all are."
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