The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world has been buzzing with speculation about the mysterious financial backing behind Craig Jones‘ multi-million dollar grappling tournaments. Recent social media posts suggest that cryptocurrency pioneer Roger Ver may be the wealthy benefactor funding the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI).
Craig Jones recently posted a photo on Instagram showing himself alongside Roger Ver, both wearing BJJ gis. The caption read simply: “Amerikaz most wanted #freerogerver” – a reference to Ver‘s ongoing legal troubles with the U.S. government over tax fraud allegations, despite having renounced his American citizenship over a decade ago.
What makes this photo particularly intriguing is the timing. Just days after Jones announced that CJI 3 had secured funding with a return to the original $1 million prize format, he posted this image with Ver. The hands visible in the gi photo appear to match those shown in Jones‘ earlier CJI 3 funding announcement, where he posted a mysterious handshake image confirming the deal was done.
While many know Roger Ver as “Bitcoin Jesus” – the world’s first investor in Bitcoin startups including Bitcoin.com, Blockchain.com, and BitPay – fewer are aware of his deep commitment to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Ver has been training for nearly 16 years and recently achieved his black belt, a milestone he celebrated on social media with gratitude to his training partners worldwide.
In a comprehensive interview years ago, Ver revealed that BJJ was one of his greatest passions alongside Bitcoin. He described training 5-6 days per week when time permitted, favoring competition classes consisting of 90 minutes of pure sparring restricted to purple belts and above. Ver even competed at the world championships level, describing the experience as:
“Hard, but if it wasn’t hard, it wouldn’t be fun.”
Ver‘s style focuses on strong passing and top pressure, though he also maintains a solid closed guard game. He’s recently developed a fascination with wrist locks from various positions, showcasing the technical evolution that comes with over a decade of dedicated training.
With an estimated net worth exceeding $700 million, Ver certainly has the financial resources to fund Jones‘ ambitious tournament series. CJI 2 has received an impressive $17 million in funding, while the original CJI featured a $1 million prize pool that Jones famously brought in cash to the Joe Rogan Experience to prove his commitment.
Ver‘s wealth stems from his early Bitcoin investments and his role as CEO of Bitcoin.com. His philosophy of voluntaryism – the belief that all human interactions should be by voluntary mutual consent – aligns with the disruptive approach Jones has taken in challenging traditional grappling promotion models.
Ver‘s current legal situation may provide additional context for his potential involvement. Facing U.S. tax fraud charges despite having renounced his citizenship years earlier, Ver has become something of a cause célèbre in libertarian circles. Jones‘ “#freerogerver” hashtag suggests solidarity with Ver‘s legal battle, potentially indicating a relationship that extends beyond mere financial backing.
The timing of Jones‘ cryptic posts coincides with the announcement that CJI 2 has been fully funded and scheduled for August 2025 in Las Vegas. If Ver is indeed the mystery benefactor, his support represents more than just financial backing – it’s an investment in disrupting established grappling hierarchies, much like Bitcoin disrupted traditional financial systems.
The parallels between Ver‘s cryptocurrency revolution and Jones‘ grappling tournament disruption are striking. Both men have challenged established systems through innovation and significant financial investment. Ver once described Bitcoin’s potential to:
“End wars by eroding government’s ability to inflate their currencies,”
while Jones has explicitly positioned CJI as competition to established grappling promotions.
In his years-old interview, Ver noted similarities between the BJJ and Bitcoin communities:
“They are so diverse… Bitcoin doesn’t discriminate, and neither does BJJ.”
This philosophy aligns perfectly with Jones‘ inclusive approach to competitor selection and his emphasis on merit-based competition.
While neither Jones nor Ver has officially confirmed the partnership, the circumstantial evidence continues to build. The matching hands in the photos, the timing of announcements, Ver‘s substantial net worth, his deep BJJ background, and the cryptic social media posts all point toward a collaboration between the cryptocurrency pioneer and the Australian grappler.
CJI 2 will feature eight teams battling for a million-dollar prize pool, representing a significant evolution from the original individual tournament format. If Ver is indeed backing this ambitious venture, it would represent one of the largest private investments in grappling sports history.
Given Ver‘s background, philosophy, and the mounting evidence, the Bitcoin billionaire appears to be the most likely candidate behind this grappling revolution.
The August 2025 date for CJI 2 in Las Vegas will likely provide definitive answers about this intriguing partnership between cryptocurrency wealth and grappling innovation.
