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

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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.

Judge Rejects Apple’s Bid to Dismiss U.S. Antitrust Lawsuit over iPhone Market Power

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Apple must face a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit accusing it of unlawfully maintaining monopoly power in the U.S. smartphone market, a federal judge ruled on Monday. The decision paves the way for a potentially years-long legal battle over Apple’s business practices.

U.S. District Judge Julien Neals in Newark, New Jersey, denied Apple’s motion to dismiss the case, which centers on how the company allegedly uses technical and contractual restrictions to limit competition. The DOJ, joined by several states and Washington, D.C., argues that Apple has implemented policies that discourage users from switching to rival devices and suppress third-party innovation in areas like apps, smartwatches, messaging, and digital wallets.

An Apple spokesperson responded by saying the company believes the lawsuit is flawed in both fact and law, and vowed to vigorously defend itself in court. The DOJ declined to comment on the ruling.

Apple’s iPhone, the world’s most popular smartphone, generated $201 billion in sales in 2024. The tech giant introduced a new budget iPhone model in February, pricing it $170 higher than the previous version despite added features.

The antitrust case, filed in March 2024, argues that Apple’s practices—including restricting app developer access, imposing high fees, and limiting device interoperability—create unlawful barriers to competition. Apple counters that these policies are necessary for security and innovation, and that being forced to share proprietary technology could undermine its product ecosystem.

This case joins a broader wave of U.S. antitrust actions against major tech companies, spanning both the Biden and Trump administrations. Meta Platforms and Amazon are also facing monopoly lawsuits, while Google-owner Alphabet is battling two separate antitrust cases.

US DOJ Sues to Block Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s $14 Billion Juniper Deal

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit to block Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, arguing that the deal would reduce competition in the networking equipment market. According to the complaint, the merger would result in just two companies—HPE and Cisco Systems—controlling more than 70% of the U.S. market for networking gear.

Shares of both HPE and Juniper Networks fell by about 2% following the announcement. This antitrust lawsuit is the first to be filed under the current administration.

In response, the companies argue that the deal will not harm competition, claiming that it would bring together two complementary networking solutions that can better compete with established global players. They also pointed to Juniper’s innovations, which have driven HPE to lower its prices and invest more in innovation.

The DOJ’s complaint specifically noted that Juniper’s competitive pressures have forced HPE to offer discounts and develop new features to maintain market relevance. The companies are prepared to defend the merger in court, with pretrial and trial proceedings expected to take place over the next eight months, before the deal’s walk-away date in October.

While the DOJ moves forward with its challenge, both the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and the European Union have already approved the acquisition.