Bitcache founder Kim Dotcom vows to fight extradition to the US

Bitcache and Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom is staunchly resisting extradition to the US, claiming he is being politically persecuted and pledging to stay in New Zealand.

German-Finnish internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, known for his controversial political views, now faces a new challenge as New Zealand's Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has signed an extradition order for him to the United States.

The move has reignited a legal battle that has dragged on for more than a decade, with Dotcom and his legal team vowing to fight the decision tooth and nail, The New Zealand Herald reports. Dotcom has lived in New Zealand since 2010 and has faced extradition threats since 2012, after he was arrested in a dramatic global operation.

The US Department of Justice charged Dotcom with a number of serious crimes, including copyright infringement, money laundering, organized crime and wire fraud, all related to his role at Megaupload. US authorities accused the platform of facilitating widespread piracy and allegedly profiting from the illegal distribution of copyrighted content.

In a defiant August 15 post on X, the crypto entrepreneur who once promised to make Bitcoin (BTC) available to the masses via Bitcache and Megaupload declared, “I love New Zealand. I'm not leaving,” signaling his clear intention to stay in the country despite the threat of extradition.

Kim Dotcom accuses of legal violations and political persecution

Dotcom’s legal team – led by Ira Rothken – confirmed plans to seek a judicial review of the extradition order in a separate X-postand stated that the fight for justice is far from over. Rothken also pointed to numerous legal irregularities that plagued Dotcom's case, including an illegal government raid on his family home, unlawful surveillance, and the withholding and destruction of key evidence.

The long-time US critic claims his legal troubles stem from his support for WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, who recently pleaded guilty to one count of espionage and returned to Australia after a years-long battle against extradition to the US.

In another series of posts on X, Dotcom suggested that his donations to WikiLeaks – including a $100,000 donation shortly after his release on bail – may have been the reason the U.S. government was pursuing him.

In addition, Dotcom accused the Justice Department under President Joe Biden's administration of targeting him for political reasons, drawing a parallel between his situation and former President Donald Trump's legal battles.

Founded in 2016, Bitcache was designed to increase the utility of Bitcoin by introducing low-cost microtransactions that would link file transfers on Megaupload to Bitcoin transactions, making it very difficult to identify users of the file-sharing platform. However, in 2023, a New Zealand court ordered Bitcache to be liquidated after it was alleged that the company owed various creditors more than $13 million.