Roger Ver Alleges U.S. Attempted to Undermine Bitcoin in 2011 with Forum Censorship

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) pioneer Roger Ver has alleged that the U.S. government attempted to hinder Bitcoin’s (BTC) growth as early as 2011. Speaking with Tucker Carlson, Ver described incidents he believes highlight efforts to disrupt Bitcoin’s early adoption.

Ver recalled how Bitcointalk.org, one of Bitcoin’s earliest online forums, became nearly unusable due to bot activity. This occurred just as Bitcoin was gaining global media attention. Ver remarked, “Somebody out there literally made the forum unusable as early as 2011.” He added that around this time, the CIA was already inquiring about Bitcoin, asking developers to explain the technology to them.

According to Ver, this disruption hindered Bitcoin’s early growth by preventing new users from accessing critical information. He speculated that the bot activity might have been part of a broader effort to slow Bitcoin’s rise during its formative years.

The Blocksize Debate and Government Propaganda

Ver, a well-known advocate of larger Bitcoin blocks, also accused U.S. intelligence agencies of spreading propaganda during the Bitcoin Blocksize War. He argued that this campaign misled people into believing small block sizes were essential to decentralization.

While Ver supported larger blocks for faster and cheaper transactions, “small blockers” like Adam Back of Blockstream defended the original 1MB limit, emphasizing decentralization. Ver’s stance ultimately led him to champion Bitcoin Cash, a fork of Bitcoin designed with larger blocks to address scalability.

Beyond Bitcoin, Roger Ver and U.S. officials have a tense relationship. Ver is accused of mail fraud, tax evasion, and submitting fake tax returns in the United States, even though he gave up his U.S. citizenship in 2014 to become a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Ver allegedly neglected to disclose capital gains from the sale of Bitcoin and other international assets, according to authorities. His arrest in Spain earlier this year at the U.S. Department of Justice’s request highlights unresolved legal disputes related to his Bitcoin activity.