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Charlie Shrem was the first person to be convicted of a Bitcoin-related crime. Shrem is serving a two-year prison sentence for money laundering associated with Silk Road. In prison, Shrem has used his time to communicate with Bitcoin loyalists and develop a fan base. Shrem used to run a Bitcoin exchange named BitInstant and was a founding member of the Bitcoin Foundation.
While locked up, Shrem found salvation from the isolating environment with help from a proponent of the digital currency known informally as Bitcoin Jesus. Roger Ver, whose strange nickname comes from his proselytizing for the digital currency, knew Shrem through the Bitcoin community. Ver himself is an ex-convict who was sentenced to 10 months in a U.S. prison for selling explosives. He’s now the chief executive officer of Bitcoin.com, which hosts links to an exchange for buying Bitcoin, news about the digital currency, and discussion groups. The two Bitcoin entrepreneurs began communicating regularly through the prison e-mail system. Ver said he proposed hosting a Q&A with Shrem on his website’s message boards. Shrem was into the idea, but because he doesn’t have direct Web access, Ver relays the questions through the prison’s e-mail network...
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