\n<\/p>\n
Roger Ver \u2014 once dubbed \u201cBitcoin Jesus\u201d for his early evangelism of bitcoin \u2014 has reached a tentative deal with the U.S. Justice Department to resolve criminal tax fraud charges, according to The New York Times <\/em>reporting<\/a>.<\/p>\n The agreement, still awaiting court approval, would require Ver to pay roughly $48 million in back taxes. In return, prosecutors would drop the case if he meets the terms of a deferred-prosecution deal.<\/p>\n The case against Ver, filed in 2024, accused him<\/a> of evading taxes tied to his massive bitcoin holdings before renouncing his U.S. citizenship in 2014. He was arrested<\/a> in Spain last year as prosecutors sought extradition.<\/p>\n If finalized, the deal would mark a sharp turn for one of crypto\u2019s most controversial pioneers \u2014 and signal that Washington\u2019s tone toward digital assets is shifting once again.<\/p>\n Ver\u2019s indictment claims that Ver gave false or misleading information to a law firm and an appraiser, hiding the true number of bitcoin owned by him and his companies. This allegedly led to the filing of false tax returns that significantly undervalued both the companies and their bitcoin holdings.\u00a0<\/p>\n By 2017, Ver\u2019s companies reportedly still held<\/a> around 70,000 bitcoins, which he sold on cryptocurrency exchanges for roughly $240 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although he was not a U.S. citizen at the time, Ver was still legally required to report certain distributions to the IRS and pay taxes on them. The indictment says he failed to do so, resulting in an estimated $48 million loss to the IRS.<\/p>\nVer\u2019s massive bitcoin holdings\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n