Roger Ver

Roger Keith Ver, born on 27 January 1979, stands out as an early Bitcoin investor and staunch promoter of Bitcoin-related startups. Often dubbed “Bitcoin Jesus,” Ver later shifted his primary advocacy to Bitcoin Cash, seeing it as the true embodiment of Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2009 “Bitcoin White Paper” vision—a genuine peer-to-peer electronic cash system.

Raised in Silicon Valley’s tech-savvy environment, Ver’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to sell fireworks on eBay. This venture eventually resulted in legal trouble, culminating in a felony charge related to the sales, leading to 10 months in federal prison. In 2005, Ver relocated to Japan, and in 2014, he renounced his U.S. citizenship, acquiring a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport in its stead. He once held the position of CEO at Bitcoin.com before moving on to the role of Executive Chairman.

Personal Overview

Originally hailing from San Jose, California, Ver spent his early educational years at Valley Christian High School and later attended De Anza College briefly before leaving to chase his business aspirations. A self-proclaimed libertarian, anarcho-capitalist, voluntaryist, and advocate for peace and individualism, Ver’s political views once propelled him to contest for the California state assembly representing the Libertarian party. He has been vocal in his criticism of institutions such as the Drug Enforcement Agency.

After severing ties with his U.S. citizenship in 2014, Ver faced challenges in re-entering the country and, later in 2019, encountered visa issues with Australia. Outside of his business endeavors, Ver has a keen interest in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, having competed in world championships and attained the rank of brown belt. Fortune recognized his contribution to finance and technology by ranking him 36th in their “The Ledger 40 under 40” list in 2018.

Career Highlights

• MemoryDealers.com: From 1999 to 2012, Ver steered MemoryDealers.com as its CEO. His political inclinations were evident when he contested for the California State Assembly under the Libertarian Party’s banner in 2000.
• Cryptocurrency: Venturing into the Bitcoin sphere in early 2011, Ver’s inaugural investment supported Charlie Shrem’s Bitinstant. His financial injections propelled startups such as Ripple, Blockchain.com, BitPay, and Kraken. With a vision to make Bitcoin mainstream, Ver’s company, Memorydealers, became the first to embrace Bitcoin payments in 2011. Ver played a pivotal role in establishing the Bitcoin Foundation and has been a staunch advocate for increasing the Bitcoin blockchain’s block size.
• CoinFlex: As of June 2022, Ver holds a significant stake in CoinFLEX, a centralized crypto yield exchange. The exchange faced liquidity challenges in June 2022, largely attributed to Ver’s inability to meet a substantial margin call. By April 2023, the owed amount was revised to a staggering USD$84 million.

This dedicated entrepreneur’s journey, marked by both significant successes and hurdles, makes Roger Keith Ver an influential figure in the cryptocurrency domain.