Irina Heaver, a prominent crypto lawyer based in Switzerland, has issued a warning to altcoiners who send her death threats online: “I have guns at home. Anybody who shows up at my home with violent intentions risks being literally shot at.” Heaver, who has 41,200 Twitter followers, blames memecoin founders for fueling the fiery users on Crypto Twitter. She believes that these community leaders and altcoin leaders have a responsibility to discourage threats and intimidation.
As a self-proclaimed Bitcoin maxi, Heaver often speaks at crypto conferences around the world and warns people to steer clear of dodgy altcoins. This has made her a target for threats, especially when she unpacks the legal jargon and spills the tea on token founders facing legal action. She recently faced backlash from the Hex community after founder Richard Heart was hit with a lawsuit. People sent death threats against her children and even claimed to know which kindergarten they attended.
Heaver takes her work seriously and works with law enforcement to bust scammy memecoin projects. Before venturing into the crypto industry in 2016, she worked as a lawyer in the oil and gas industry for 13 years. She decided to switch careers because she couldn’t stand the corporate environment anymore. Her colleagues were skeptical of her move into crypto, believing it was filled with “money launderers and drug dealers.”
Heaver gained Twitter fame by resurrecting her old account and posting once a day, even though she had joined the platform in 2014. While she takes her crypto work seriously, she views Twitter as a place for fun and easygoing content. She believes that the crypto community prefers lighthearted content over heavy-duty analysis, as her humorous posts gather more engagement than her insightful legal analysis.
Heaver’s content showcases her interesting life, including shooting a rifle and hiking in Switzerland. She also shares her insights and opinions on various political matters. She finds political commentary more interesting than tracking crypto prices, as she believes that political decisions hold greater significance in the grand scheme of things. She follows Bitcoin-only accounts and various political commentators on Twitter.
When it comes to the ongoing lawsuits against major exchanges Binance and Coinbase brought by the SEC, Heaver predicts that both will settle without acknowledging any wrongdoing. She bases her prediction on her “inside knowledge” of how the SEC operates, gained during her time in the oil and gas industry. She recalls a Swiss company she worked with that faced scrutiny from U.S. regulators and eventually settled for $250 million without admitting fault.
Heaver concludes that regulators often use settlements to fund their operations and pay salaries and bonuses. She believes that Binance and Coinbase will follow a similar path and that the SEC will eventually leave them alone. Despite the threats and controversies, Heaver remains undeterred and continues to share her views and expertise on social media platforms.
