by Coinstrooper Crypto Articles
Quick Take
  • The documents show a mix of investment discussions, philosophical commentary, and contact with prominent figures in Bitcoin’s rise.
  • In the email, he wrote, “I have spoken to some of the founders of Bitcoin who are very excited.”
  • In 2013, he received a forwarded briefing analyzing Bitcoin’s viability as a payment system.
  • And in a 2011 message, Epstein called Bitcoin “brilliant,” though he warned of “serious downsides.”

What Happened

The newly unsealed Epstein files, released on January 30, shed light on his surprising proximity to cryptocurrency founders, investors, and projects during the industry’s formative years.

The documents show a mix of investment discussions, philosophical commentary, and contact with prominent figures in Bitcoin’s rise.

In a July 2014 exchange with billionaire investor Peter Thiel, Epstein engaged in a nuanced discussion about Bitcoin’s definition. He wrote:

But He Rejected Bitcoin as an Investment in 2017

Despite his curiosity in prior years, this suggests he remained skeptical of Bitcoin’s value as an investment at its price peak that year.

Hill wrote, “We are 10x oversubscribed… bump your allocation from $50k to $500k.” Epstein had earlier confirmed he would invest through Ito’s fund.

Market Context

A “Sharia Coin” For Saudi Arabia and Bitcoin Ideation

In 2016, Epstein pitched a “radical” plan to a Saudi royal advisor involving the creation of two digital currencies, including a “sharia” crypto designed for Muslim countries.

Why It Matters

These communications suggest he was closely tracking crypto’s potential well before it entered the mainstream.

Details

In the email, he wrote, “I have spoken to some of the founders of Bitcoin who are very excited.”

This was not an isolated comment.

In 2013, he received a forwarded briefing analyzing Bitcoin’s viability as a payment system. And in a 2011 message, Epstein called Bitcoin “brilliant,” though he warned of “serious downsides.”

He Debated Bitcoin’s Identity with Peter Thiel

“There is little agreement on what Bitcoin is… store of value, currency, property… like man presenting as woman, smells like property presenting as currency.”

Thiel’s earlier message in the chain asked, “Do you think this is the first step in upping the anti-BTC pressure?”

The exchange shows Epstein was fluent in the ideological arguments around Bitcoin’s nature, even drawing analogies to gender identity debates.

In a brief email dated August 31, 2017, someone asked Epstein: “Is it worth it buying a bitcoin?”

Epstein’s one-word reply: “No.”

Epstein Was in on Blockstream’s Early Funding Round

A 2014 thread reveals Epstein’s involvement in the seed funding of Blockstream, one of Bitcoin’s most important infrastructure firms.

Co-founder Austin Hill emailed Epstein, Joi Ito (MIT Media Lab), and Dr. Adam Back (a Bitcoin pioneer) to finalize allocations in the oversubscribed $18 million round.

This is direct evidence that Epstein had money in a major Bitcoin company.

Notably, both Hill and Back were also included in later travel coordination emails to St. Thomas—Epstein’s island hub.

He Received Early Bitcoin Project Gossip