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- Elon Musk has publicly supported a potential pardon for Roger Ver, a key figure in cryptocurrency known as “Bitcoin Jesus.”
- This follows President Donald Trump’s recent pardon of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace.
On January 22, Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, voiced support for a potential pardon for Roger Ver, the prominent cryptocurrency figure known as “Bitcoin Jesus.” This came after journalist Ian Miles Cheong posted on X, urging President Trump to grant Ver the same unconditional pardon he had extended to Ross Ulbricht. Musk responded, saying, “That’s up to the President, but I have asked whether this is possible.”
That’s up to the President, but I have asked whether this is possible
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2025
Ray Youssef, CEO of Noonesapp, was one of the first to call for Ver’s release. Youssef’s comments sparked further support, including from Naomi Brockwell, founder of the Ludlow Institute, who argued that Ver’s case set a dangerous precedent for privacy and legal defense.
Following the discussion, Polymarket, a blockchain-based prediction platform, projected a 34% chance that President Trump would pardon Roger Ver within his first 100 days in office. Angela McArdle, chair of the Libertarian National Committee, also expressed support for Ver’s potential release, highlighting concerns over the violation of attorney-client privilege and withheld exculpatory evidence during Ver’s grand jury proceedings.
These opinions emerged after U.S. President Donald Trump granted a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the notorious Silk Road marketplace, who had spent nearly a decade in prison. This move came as Trump fulfilled a promise he made during his campaign at the Libertarian Party’s National Convention in May, where he pledged to address cases like Ulbricht’s as part of his platform.
Who is Roger Ver, the ‘Bitcoin Jesus?’
Roger Ver discovered Bitcoin in early 2011 and quickly became a major advocate, thus earning the name “ Bitcoin Jesus.” Ver integrated Bitcoin payments into his company, Memorydealers.com, which resold Cisco equipment and accumulated over 400,000 Bitcoins when they were worth less than $1.
He was also an early investor in Bitcoin-related projects like Kraken, Blockchain.com, and Ripple. In 2012, Ver launched Bitcoinstore.com to allow transactions in Bitcoin. Ver’s life has been marked by controversy. In 2002, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison for selling explosives illegally via eBay. A self-identified libertarian and anarcho-capitalist, Ver ran for the California State Assembly in 2001 as a Libertarian Party candidate.
Around 2017, Ver switched his allegiance to Bitcoin Cash, a move that polarized the crypto community. His outspoken libertarian views, combined with his clash with government authorities, have contributed to his controversial reputation.
As we reported in 2024, Ver faced legal issues, including tax evasion accusations, with US authorities claiming he owes $48 million due to his expatriation process. He challenged these allegations, citing constitutional violations and the improper subpoena of his privileged communications.
Ver’s financial dealings have led to other lawsuits. For example, Genesis, a crypto lending company, sued him for $20.8 million in unsettled cryptocurrency options transactions, while CoinFex, a Seychelles-based exchange, pursued him over a $47 million margin debt.
