Overview
- The Justice Department’s release includes an Oct. 13, 2016 email from Jeffrey Epstein claiming he had spoken with “some of the founders of bitcoin” about a Sharia‑compliant currency concept.
- A July 31, 2014 email from Blockstream co‑founder Austin Hill told Epstein—copied to Joi Ito and Reid Hoffman—that investor exposure to Ripple and Stellar conflicted with Blockstream’s strategy and urged cutting his allocation.
- Blockstream CEO Adam Back acknowledged a 2014 meeting arranged via Ito but said Blockstream has no direct or indirect financial connection to Epstein and that Ito’s fund later divested.
- Ripple figures publicly rejected claims of links to Epstein, and available reporting notes no evidence that Epstein controlled Bitcoin’s code or ran projects such as Ripple or Stellar.
- Journalists and researchers are still reviewing millions of DOJ records as social media circulates unverified theories tying the documents to later market and regulatory events.