Yazılar

‘Bitcoin Jesus’ Roger Ver settles U.S. tax evasion charges in $49.9 million deal

/in /tarafından

Roger Ver, the early cryptocurrency investor known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” has reached a $49.9 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve allegations of mail fraud and tax evasion, according to a court filing on Tuesday.

Ver entered a deferred prosecution agreement in federal court in Los Angeles that will allow him to avoid prison time if he complies with the deal’s conditions. The arrangement, which comes under the Trump administration, provides that the indictment will be dismissed after one month, provided Ver abides by the agreement. The settlement covers his tax liability, civil penalties, and interest owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The case accused Ver, 46, of evading at least $48 million in taxes following his 2014 decision to renounce U.S. citizenship after becoming a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis. He was arrested in Spain in April 2024 and later extradited to the U.S. The DOJ alleged that Ver concealed ownership of significant bitcoin holdings and failed to pay exit taxes required under federal law.

Ver was represented by Christopher Kise, a lawyer who has also represented Donald Trump, while the DOJ’s lead official on the case, Ketan Bhirud, previously represented Ivanka Trump in private litigation.

In a statement, Ver said he was “grateful this case has been dismissed” and thanked the administration for its “leadership and professionalism.” A vocal libertarian and former Bitcoin.com CEO, Ver became one of the earliest advocates of cryptocurrency adoption, earning his moniker for his evangelical promotion of bitcoin in its early years.

Crypto traders rush to hedge after record $19 billion market wipeout

/in /tarafından

After the largest crypto liquidation in history, investors in the options market are scrambling to protect themselves from another potential collapse in bitcoin and ether, bracing for heightened volatility following last week’s dramatic sell-off.

More than $19 billion in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated last Friday as panic selling and thin liquidity triggered violent swings. Analysts said the 24-hour liquidation was nine times larger than the February 2025 crash and 19 times greater than the 2020 and FTX meltdowns combined. The sell-off was sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of 100% tariffs on Chinese imports and threats of export controls on critical software.

Bitcoin plunged as low as $104,782, down over 14% from its recent record high of $126,000. It has since recovered to around $115,700. Ether also dropped more than 12%, while altcoins such as DOGE, HYPE, and AVAX saw losses exceeding 50% before partially rebounding.

Options traders have since piled into put contracts — which grant the right to sell — at strike prices of $115,000 and $95,000 for bitcoin and $4,000 and $3,600 for ether, signaling rising bearish sentiment through year-end, according to data from Derive.xyz.

Despite the turmoil, on-chain analyst Willy Woo said bitcoin’s investor flows have remained relatively stable compared to other assets, suggesting capital may be rotating from altcoins into bitcoin rather than exiting crypto altogether. Still, analysts caution that bitcoin must overcome key resistance levels before regaining upward momentum.

PayPay’s U.S. IPO could top $20 billion valuation, sources say

/in /tarafından

PayPay, Japan’s leading digital payments platform backed by SoftBank, could be valued at more than 3 trillion yen ($20 billion) in its upcoming U.S. initial public offering (IPO) planned for December, according to people familiar with the matter.

The potential listing would make PayPay one of the largest Japanese tech IPOs in years. SoftBank, which owns PayPay through several entities including SoftBank Corp, its Vision Fund, and LY Corp, has been meeting institutional investors since mid-September to discuss pricing and valuation.

According to sources, investors view 2 trillion yen as a conservative baseline but expect higher figures due to PayPay’s dominance in Japan’s QR code payment market and its expanding suite of financial services, including banking, credit cards, and cryptocurrency.

PayPay recently launched its international payments service, beginning with South Korea, as it seeks to strengthen its growth story beyond Japan. However, some investors remain cautious about the company’s overseas potential, citing its limited infrastructure outside Asia.

Japan’s cashless payments ratio exceeded 40% last year — still below South Korea and China’s 80%+ levels — leaving room for domestic growth. Meanwhile, SoftBank’s financial segment, which includes PayPay, reported a doubling of operating profit to 18.1 billion yen in the April–June quarter.

PayPay is also moving into crypto services after acquiring a 40% stake in Binance Japan, reinforcing its position as a comprehensive fintech player.