Epstein Files: Jeffrey Claims to Have Contacted Bitcoin Founders, Another Email Sparks Ripple Community Debate

Jeffrey Epstein’s latest declassified emails reveal early investment struggles involving Ripple and Stellar in 2014, and he even claims to have been in contact with Bitcoin founders. The documents show he had long been involved in the crypto space, attempting to promote a digital currency project that integrates Bitcoin.

Epstein files expose emails linking early investments in Ripple and Stellar

The U.S. Department of Justice recently released a large number of files related to the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, suspected of sexual crimes. Among them, an email dated July 31, 2014, unexpectedly drew attention from the crypto community.

This email was sent by Austin Hill, co-founder of Bitcoin infrastructure and venture capital firm Blockstream. The recipients included Epstein and Joi Ito, then director of the MIT Media Lab, with a copy sent to LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman.

In the email, Austin Hill expressed concerns about the crypto ecosystem at the time, specifically pointing out competition issues between Ripple and Stellar projects.

Hill told Joi Ito and Epstein that investors supporting both projects simultaneously could cause conflicts of interest, describing it as betting on two horses in the same race, which could be detrimental to the blockchain ecosystem they are building.

The exposure of this email led some community opinions to link these two projects with Epstein, sparking speculation about the funding sources of early blockchain projects.

Image source: U.S. Department of Justice Epstein files reveal early investment struggles involving Ripple and Stellar

Joi Ito has already apologized for his connection to Epstein

Joi Ito indeed had interactions with Epstein in the past due to funding issues at the MIT Media Lab. He also served as an advisor to the Stellar Development Foundation and admitted that the Media Lab had received donations from Epstein-controlled foundations.

In response, Joi Ito publicly issued a statement of apology in 2019, taking full responsibility for his poor judgment, and expressing deep regret to survivors of sexual assault, the Media Lab, and the MIT community. He pledged to return funds related to Epstein or donate equivalent amounts to nonprofits supporting human trafficking survivors.

Image source: Joi Ito of MIT Media Lab has apologized for his connection to Epstein

Ripple CTO also clarifies, community interpretations spark debate

This 2014 email triggered heated debates on X platform between Ripple supporters and Bitcoin supporters. Ripple community accused Bitcoin supporters of using this document to smear Ripple, attempting to link the competitor to Epstein’s scandal.

In response to rumors generated by the email, Ripple CTO David Schwartz also clarified.

He stated on X (formerly Twitter) that there is no evidence that Ripple, Stellar, or their team members have had direct contact or meetings with Epstein. While some individuals in the tech and finance sectors have indirect links to Epstein, this was not uncommon in elite social circles at the time.

He believes that the email actually reflects early Bitcoin supporters’ attempts to influence investors, representing part of the competition in the early crypto industry, rather than evidence of Epstein actually controlling Ripple’s operations.

Further reading:
“Lolita Island” Epstein Files Latest: Elon Musk sought to avoid parties, Bill Gates suspected of illness

Epstein claims to have contacts with Bitcoin founders

Besides the Ripple-related connections, an email dated October 13, 2016, shows that Epstein mentioned a financial project to potential Saudi partners, stating he had spoken with several Bitcoin founders.

Since Bitcoin’s creator “Satoshi Nakamoto” remains anonymous, and there has long been debate whether Satoshi is an individual or a team, Epstein’s use of the plural “founders” in the email unexpectedly aligns with the theory that Bitcoin was developed by a team.

However, aside from this one-sided letter, there is no other evidence confirming Epstein actually contacted Satoshi or his core team.

Image source: U.S. Department of Justice Epstein claims to have contacts with Bitcoin founders

Epstein had long been involved in the crypto space

The files also show that Epstein maintained close ties with Silicon Valley tech circles and was paying attention to the potential impact of cryptocurrencies on finance early on.

In April 2013, Boris Nikolic, Bill Gates’ former science advisor, forwarded a Bitcoin analysis report written by analyst Tren Griffin to Epstein. The report explored Bitcoin’s characteristics as a payment method and pointed out that Bitcoin has no intrinsic value, with its worth entirely dependent on user numbers and network effects.

The files further reveal that Epstein was attempting to promote a Sharia-compliant currency system, which included two parts: physical fiat currency with the phrase “In God We Trust” for internal circulation, and a digital currency built on the Bitcoin network. However, he also mentioned at the end of the email that he had not yet received a specific response from Saudi Arabia, suggesting that the project may not have materialized.