Epstein has paid close attention to the development of Bitcoin multiple times and has indirectly funded the early Bitcoin ecosystem.

On December 20, @StarPlatinum_ disclosed that the U.S. Department of Justice today released investigation documents related to the Epstein case. The relevant emails show that Jeffrey Epstein’s $850,000 donation to MIT indirectly funded a digital currency initiative, which hired Bitcoin Core developers such as Gavin Andresen and Wladimir van der Laan during the collapse of the Bitcoin Foundation in 2015. The emails detailed Epstein’s nine secret visits to MIT, codenamed “Voldemort.” The emails reveal meetings at Epstein’s mansion with individuals including Brock Pierce (early Bitcoin investor and co-founder of Tether) and Larry Summers (former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury), indicating that discussions about Bitcoin occurred well before it became mainstream. Despite concerns about reputation risk, Summers was optimistic about Bitcoin’s opportunities. Epstein also sought crypto tax advice from Steve Bannon in 2018, including how to handle tokens and evade campaign finance rules, as well as a blockchain book he purchased in 2017, revealing his elite network within the emerging cryptocurrency field, but there is no evidence showing he had actual influence over Bitcoin development.