Roger Ver’s journey is very similar to Bitcoin Cash: a meteoric rise followed by a long tumble. But who is really the ex-Bitcoin Jesus, libertarian and anarcho-capitalist who became a fervent defender of the most famous fork of Bitcoin?
The Free Electron.
Born in January 1979 in San Jose, California, Roger Ver quickly understood that he was not made for school. He is a free electron, whose entrepreneurial and commercial talent is undeniable.
He left the University of Anza even before the end of his first year, to devote himself to his first business. MemoryDealers.com, created in 1999, is a company that resells computer equipment acquired over the Internet at low cost. It is a success.
In 2003, Roger Ver became a millionaire. This entrepreneurial success will help shape Ver’s libertarian, individualist and proactive ideology.
Another event will also strengthen his thinking. In 2002, he was charged with "illegal sale of explosives" and sentenced to 10 months in prison. His crime: selling fireworks on eBay without a license. This prison episode is decisive.
In 2006 he left the USA for Japan. And in 2014, after obtaining the nationality of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a tax haven of the Commonwealth, Ver renounces his American citizenship.
From Roger Ver to Bitcoin Jesus
In 2011, Ver discovered Bitcoin while listening to a libertarian radio show. It's love at first sight. He acquired around 25,000. At the time, Bitcoin was less than a dollar. Ver makes MemoryDealers.com the first company to accept bitcoin as a payment method.
During the 2010s, he was one of the most fervent defenders of the digital currency, earning his nickname "Bitcoin Jesus".
He organizes meetups, co-creates the Bitcoin Foundation, and invests in multiple companies. BitInstant, Ripple, Blockchain.com, BitPay, Kraken… yes, yes, you know them all!
Ver sees Bitcoin as a way for everyone to break free from governments and gain monetary freedom. Everything is good to encourage adoption.
Thus, Ver does not hesitate to appear in support of the most controversial personalities in the sphere. He gives for example $ 25,000 for the defense of Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road. And does not hesitate to help the MtGox exchange, during various difficulties between June 2011 and July 2013.
The founder of "eBay for Drugs and Arms" will eventually be sentenced to two life prison terms. And we know what happened to Mark Karpelès' platform…
Crossroads
Starting in 2015, Ver embarked on a battle to increase the size of Bitcoin blocks. Concerned about the cost of fees and the relative slowness of transactions, Ver became a supporter of a hard fork.
To grow and become the currency of the future as Ver envisions it, Bitcoin must moult. He then supports the proposal of Gavin Andresen and Mike Hearn, Bitcoin XT, before turning to Bitcoin Cash.
From then on, for Ver, the real Bitcoin becomes Bitcoin Cash.
And Roger Ver puts all his strength (and a good part of his fortune) in the fork. When Bitcoin Cash splits in November 2018 to give birth to Bitcoin ABC and Bitcoin SV, Ver hangs on.
Even when the price of Bitcoin soars while that of Bitcoin Cash stagnates, or even collapses, Ver is relentless. It seems that no matter what, Ver will never give up: his solution is the best. And he doesn't hesitate to raise his voice or use bird names when he is contradicted.
As a perfect libertarian, Ver got out of all the systems he was in. First the university, then his country, and finally, the Bitcoin community. It is therefore not surprising that his career was only a succession of emancipations.
Conclusion
Formerly Bitcoin Jesus, Ver has over the years become a controversial figure in the crypto-sphere. His stance and stratagems in an attempt to tax Bitcoin Cash have gradually banished him from the Bitcoin community. Yet there is no denying that his contribution to publicize and adopt Bitcoin is immense. Something tells us that we haven't finished hearing about him ...
Now that you know a little more about Bitcoin Jesus, isn't it time to find out who Changpeng Zhao, aka “CZ”, the iconic founder of Binance, really is?
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