Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has given his personal opinion on the legal case against Roger Ver, one of Bitcoin’s early supporters and one of the controversial figures in the crypto space.
In a public post answering questions about the “Free Roger” movement, Schwartz described U.S. authorities’ treatment of VER as a long-standing campaign that goes far beyond recent accusations. He says Ver has been “consistently persecuted” over the years, even pushed to waive his US citizenship, and is now being pursued about alleged underwages in exit tax.
Ver was arrested in Spain in May 2024 after the US demanded extradition. Prosecutors say they hid more than 131,000 BTC when they waived citizenship in 2014. He also faces accusations of mail fraud and has filed false returns. Ver is on bail and staying in Spain while his extradition case is decided.
The hidden truth
Schwartz said he couldn’t say everything he knew because of the private agreement, but he made it clear that the real story was darker than it appears. “It’s far more evil than most people notice,” he wrote.
Also known as “Bitcoin yes” for its early support of BTC, Ver has invested in major crypto startups such as BitPay, Kraken, BlockChain.com, and Ripple itself. He then became a huge supporter of Bitcoin Cash. This split from the mainstream direction of Bitcoin in 2017 over the scaling dispute.
In Schwartz’s view, Ver’s actions, even unpopular, came from belief rather than opportunistic. “He thought it was the right thing to do,” he wrote. “And it coincided with his Pro Freedome values.”
The legal battle is still on. But for some people, including Ripple’s CTO, it’s not just taxes. It’s about the long history of ideological friction.