Roger Ver, the man known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” is publicly pleading with ‘crypto president’ Donald Trump to prevent his extradition to the United States.
In a desperate and direct tweet on Jan. 26, Roger said, “Mr. President, I am an American, and I need your help. Only you, with your commitment to justice, can save me @realDonaldTrump.”
Mr. President, I am an American, and I need your help. Only you, with your commitment to justice, can save me @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/WhVTZ1M1GB
— Roger Ver (@rogerkver) January 26, 2025
Roger had renounced his US citizenship in 2014. He’s now facing federal charges that could see him sent to prison for over a century.
The entrepreneur who became “Bitcoin Jesus”
Roger was born on January 27, 1979, in San Jose, California, and his entrepreneurial journey began at just 19. While still in college, he founded MemoryDealers.com in 1999, a company that sold computer components. It became a huge player in the market, thriving under his leadership.
By 2005, Roger launched Agilestar.com, a company specializing in optical transceivers, which found clients among Fortune 100 firms. The wild successes of these early ventures set the stage for what came next: Bitcoin.
In 2011, Roger discovered Bitcoin while it was still priced under $1. “It was like nothing I’d ever seen before,” he said in a past interview. He said he was captivated by its potential to disrupt traditional financial systems. Roger wasted no time, pouring his energy and money into Bitcoin and quickly incorporating it into his businesses.
He also personally invested over $1 million into early Bitcoin startups, including now-giant companies like Blockchain.com, Kraken, and Ripple.
Trump, who has already made waves by enacting crypto-friendly policies, now finds himself at the center of a plea from one of Bitcoin’s earliest advocates. Trump has already pardoned the community’s favorite hero, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.
From Bitcoin to Bitcoin Cash
Roger’s journey through the crypto industry took a dramatic turn in 2017 when he moved his allegiance from Bitcoin to Bitcoin Cash (BCH). The fork of Bitcoin promised faster transactions and lower fees, addressing what Roger said he saw as critical flaws in the OG crypto.
In multiple interviews, Roger criticized Bitcoin’s community for abandoning its original ethos. “Bitcoin isn’t about holding and hoping the price goes up. It’s about making financial systems better than PayPal or Visa,” Roger said. Can’t argue with that if you’ve ever actually read the Bitcoin whitepaper.
When Roger renounced his US citizenship, he became a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis through its citizenship-by-investment program. He often speaks about the importance of having a second passport, calling it a safety against government overreach.
Interestingly, Roger once described Bitcoin as “a pyramid scheme” and criticized Bitcoin maximalists for their lack of understanding about gold’s industrial uses. “It’s amazing how many BTC maximalists don’t even know that gold has uses beyond being a store of value,” he said in one of his many fiery tweets.
While some hail him as a visionary, others see Roger Ver as an opportunist who undermined Bitcoin to promote Bitcoin Cash. President Trump signed an executive order for crypto in the Oval last week. It’s not that far fetched to expect Roger’s return to America within February.