Newly Released Epstein Documents Reveal Bitcoin Core Funding Connection

Recent document releases from the DOJ and House Oversight Committee have uncovered that late financier Jeffrey Epstein indirectly funded several Bitcoin Core developers through MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative between 2015 and 2017. The documents, consisting of emails and financial records, provide new insight into Epstein’s involvement in cryptocurrency development during a pivotal period for Bitcoin’s institutional support.

Jeffrey Epstein emails reveal he was linked to Bitcoin’s early ecosystem

Here’s what’s happening:

The biggest red flag is how close Epstein was to Bitcoin funding channels, and early development circles.

Here are the main links:

– MIT Funding

Epstein sent $850,000 to MIT… pic.twitter.com/e2pc7o4f0R

— StarPlatinum (@StarPlatinum_) December 19, 2025

The MIT Connection

Epstein’s donations to MIT between 2002 and 2017 totaled $850,000, with $525,000 specifically earmarked for the MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative (DCI). This funding took on heightened significance in 2015 when the Bitcoin Foundation collapsed and filed for bankruptcy, leaving several prominent Bitcoin Core developers without institutional support.

MIT’s DCI stepped in to fill this void, becoming the new institutional home for these developers. The salaries of Wladimir van der Laan, Gavin Andresen, and Cory Fields (all significant contributors to Bitcoin’s open-source codebase) were funded through MIT’s DCI during this period.

Key Email Evidence

The released documents include several revealing exchanges between Epstein and Joi Ito, then-director of the MIT Media Lab:

• 2017 email titled “Digital Currency Initiative”: Ito thanked Epstein for financial support, stating the funds “allowed us to move quickly and win this round” in recruiting Bitcoin developers to MIT.
• April 2015 correspondence: Ito expressed gratitude to Epstein for support enabling “a swift response to emerging opportunities” during the Bitcoin Foundation’s collapse.
• October 2016 communication: Epstein wrote to Saudi contacts claiming he had “spoken to some of the founders of Bitcoin” to discuss developing a Sharia-compliant digital currency.

The Blockstream Question

Documents suggest Epstein invested approximately $500,000 in Blockstream, a Bitcoin infrastructure company, in 2014. Blockstream CEO Adam Back has publicly denied any direct financial connection, clarifying that Joi Ito’s investment fund held a minority stake that was later divested “due to potential conflict of interest and other concerns.”

Back emphasized: “Blockstream has no direct nor indirect financial connection with Jeffrey Epstein, or his estate.”

Developer Perspective and the 2019 Fallout

The Bitcoin Core developers involved have stated they had no knowledge of the funding’s original source and were simply employed through MIT’s normal institutional channels. The funding structure was indirect, flowing through MIT’s established academic and research mechanisms rather than directly from Epstein to individual developers.

The connection became public in September 2019 when The New Yorker published an investigation revealing that Ito had attempted to conceal Epstein’s contributions to MIT. Ito resigned shortly after, and MIT subsequently implemented new guidelines around anonymous donations.

Context and What This Does Not Prove

Understanding the limitations of these revelations is critical:

• Bitcoin remains decentralized: Bitcoin is an open-source project with thousands of contributors worldwide and a rigorous peer review process for all code changes.
• Funding does not equal control: The funding of a small number of developers through an academic institution does not grant operational control over the protocol.
• Conspiracy theories debunked: Claims suggesting Epstein installed backdoors in Bitcoin or was Satoshi Nakamoto have been thoroughly fact-checked and found to be false.
• Transparent development: Bitcoin’s decentralized governance structure and transparent development process are specifically designed to resist undue influence from any single funding source.

I hate to be a conspiracy theorist, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this is just the tip of a giant iceberg.https://t.co/ArqNp0ZhK5 pic.twitter.com/ibRXHc6uNh

— David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) January 31, 2026

David Schwartz, ex CTO of Ripple, commented on the revelations: “I hate to play conspiracy theorist, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this is just the tip of a huge iceberg.” His statement reflects broader concerns about hidden financial influences in cryptocurrency development, though no evidence of improper code changes has emerged.

The documents reveal an uncomfortable historical connection between a convicted criminal and the funding of important open-source development work, but they do not suggest compromise of Bitcoin’s code or protocol.

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