‘Bitcoin Jesus’ Roger Ver strikes $48M deal amid Trump’s crypto policy shift

Key Takeaways

Why is Roger Ver’s settlement significant?

It ends one of crypto’s longest-running tax disputes and shows Washington’s shift from prosecution to negotiation.

What does it reveal about Trump’s policy direction?

The administration is softening its stance on crypto, favoring deals and deregulation over courtroom battles.

Roger Ver, one of Bitcoin’s earliest and most controversial advocates, has reportedly reached a tentative $48 million settlement with U.S. prosecutors to end his criminal tax fraud case.

According to The New York Times, the agreement would allow Ver to avoid prison time if he complies with the terms of a deferred-prosecution deal, a mechanism that drops charges once full payment and cooperation are completed.

The case stems from Ver’s alleged failure to pay taxes on his Bitcoin holdings before renouncing his U.S. citizenship in 2014. This process triggers the IRS “exit tax” on unrealized gains.

Crypto, expatriation, and the ‘exit tax’ problem

Ver’s case has drawn attention for exposing the tax complexities of leaving the United States while holding volatile digital assets.

The IRS exit-tax framework was designed for traditional portfolios; however, in practice, it can be challenging to value cryptocurrency at the time of expatriation accurately.

Price volatility, proof of custody, and off-exchange holdings often create subjective compliance, leading to gray areas for investors.

The Ver deal could establish an informal precedent for how authorities treat such cases in the future: settlement over prosecution.

A new tone from Washington

The settlement reflects a broader shift under President Trump’s second administration, which has moved away from the aggressive enforcement posture seen under the Joe Biden administration.

The Justice Department’s crypto enforcement unit was quietly restructured earlier this year. Also, the SEC dropped or settled multiple lawsuits against U.S. exchanges, including Coinbase and Kraken.

Trump has also signaled broader pro-crypto sentiment, from pardoning Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and the BitMEX founders, to backing the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve as part of his “America First in Finance” agenda.

Ripple effects for crypto regulation

Legal experts note that deferred prosecution in a tax-related crypto case of this scale is rare.

It suggests regulators are now more willing to treat crypto violations as compliance issues rather than criminal offenses.

That shift could reshape enforcement expectations for other ongoing cases — including Binance’s Changpeng Zhao, who is seeking a pardon, and executives facing similar tax or registration claims.

A turning point for ‘Bitcoin Jesus’

For Ver, often called Bitcoin Jesus for his early evangelism, the proposed settlement marks the end of a decade-long confrontation with the U.S. government.

If approved by the court, the agreement would close one of the last major tax-related cases from the early Bitcoin era, sending a clear message about the U.S. stance on crypto.