‘Bitcoin Jesus’ Reaches $48 Million Settlement with US DOJ in Tax Fraud Case

Ver allegedly failed to pay $48 million in taxes related to his Bitcoin holdings after renouncing US citizenship.

Roger Ver, the early Bitcoin evangelist known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” has reached a $48 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in a high-profile tax fraud case.

The development comes after a public plea for presidential intervention in his lawsuit earlier this year.

$48 million DOJ deal

The New York Times reported Thursday that the cryptocurrency investor has entered into a preliminary deferred prosecution agreement with federal authorities to resolve criminal charges filed against him last year.

This comes after he was charged with fraud and tax evasion in 2024 for allegedly failing to pay $48 million in taxes on his digital currency holdings. Under the terms of the agreement, the suspect is obligated to pay the same amount to the government.

The deal, which has yet to be filed in court and is still subject to change, says the charges will be dropped if he meets all conditions set by the DOJ.

However, Ver remained silent on the issue. “I would like to say more, but I will follow my tax attorney’s advice, as I have for decades,” he wrote to reporters at the NY Times. “Unfortunately that means ‘no comment,’” he added.

The former California resident renounced his US citizenship in 2014 and was arrested in Spain last year after the Justice Department announced plans to extradite him. Prosecutors accused him of hiding the true value of his Bitcoin holdings to avoid paying the exit taxes he owed upon giving up his citizenship.

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Roger Ver involved Trump allies in fraud case

During the legal proceedings, the 46-year-old reportedly hired several people linked to US President Donald Trump. The media outlet revealed that he paid $600,000 to Roger Stone to help fight the tax charge. He also hired attorneys David Schoen and Christopher M. Kise, and worked with a lobbying firm led by Trump fundraiser Brian Ballard.

In January this year, Ver had asked the president for help, claiming in a video on social media that he was being targeted because of his political beliefs and advocacy for cryptocurrency. The Bitcoin proponent also shared that he was facing a possible prison sentence of more than 100 years for his activism.

Since Trump began his second term, the US government’s stance on cryptocurrency has changed a lot. The SEC has dropped several lawsuits, including cases against Coinbase and other major companies, rolling back strict enforcement under the Joe Biden administration.

Early in his term, the president also pardoned Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road marketplace, and later the founders of BitMEX were convicted of anti-money laundering violations. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao is also asking for leniency for his money laundering charges.