Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Roger Ver is contesting US tax evasion allegations through parallel legal challenges citing constitutional and human rights violations. His defense team claims the US exit tax—applied when Ver renounced citizenship—violates the Constitution’s Apportionment Clause, which mandates taxes be levied proportionally across states, and the Due Process Clause. Attorneys are seeking dismissal of the charges on these grounds.
Simultaneously, Ver has filed a case with the European Court of Human Rights arguing that extradition to the US would infringe on his fundamental rights. The lawsuit contends that potential penalties he faces qualify as disproportionate treatment under European human rights conventions, framing the extradition as unjust.
Prominent crypto figures have rallied behind Ver, with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht publicly criticizing the exit tax as extreme. The case sparks industry-wide debates on regulatory fairness and cross-border enforcement, with potential implications for investor confidence and future cryptocurrency compliance frameworks globally.