Categorized emails from the Division of Justice’s doc launch revealed Jeffrey Epstein claimed direct contact with Bitcoin’s creators as early as 2016.
Abstract
- DOJ emails present Epstein claimed talks with Bitcoin founders on a Sharia-compliant crypto thought.
- The declare stays unverified as Bitcoin’s creator has by no means been publicly recognized.
- Recordsdata present Epstein’s deep ties to early crypto discussions throughout tech and finance.
A October 13, 2016 e mail from Epstein to recipients Raafat Alsabbagh and Aziza Alahmadi mentioned utilizing Bitcoin expertise to construct a Sharia-compliant digital forex for the Center East.
The e-mail, despatched from Epstein’s handle, acknowledged he had spoken to “a few of the founders of bitcoin” who had been “very excited” in regards to the challenge.
The declare stays unverified, as Bitcoin’s (BTC) pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto has by no means been publicly recognized.
Earlier DOJ paperwork present Epstein acquired Bitcoin-related supplies relationship again to April 2013, when Boris Nikolic forwarded him evaluation from Tren Griffin discussing Bitcoin’s properties as a cost mechanism.
Epstein’s crypto community stretched throughout tech and finance
The DOJ recordsdata present Epstein maintained connections to outstanding figures in expertise and finance who had been lively in early cryptocurrency discussions.
A July 31, 2014 e mail from Austin Hill to Epstein, carbon copied to Reid Hoffman and Joichi Ito, mentioned considerations about Stellar’s launch and its relationship to Ripple.
Hill’s e mail carried the topic line “Stellar isn’t so Stellar” and raised considerations that traders backing each Ripple and Stellar created conflicts throughout the ecosystem.
The correspondence was carbon copied to Hoffman, a LinkedIn co-founder and outstanding tech investor, and Ito, who served as director of MIT Media Lab on the time.
The April 2013 forwarded e mail from Boris Nikolic contained evaluation from Tren Griffin, who wrote extensively about Bitcoin’s use as a cost mechanism and its relationship to community results.
Griffin’s evaluation famous that Bitcoin’s worth relies on the variety of customers and that the asset had no intrinsic worth past what individuals assigned to it.
Sharia forex proposal stays unverified
Epstein’s 2016 proposal described creating two new currencies, one Sharia-compliant, designed for inner use amongst Muslims within the Center East.
The e-mail prompt the digital forex would perform like a greenback however incorporate non secular compliance necessities.
The paperwork are a part of a broader DOJ launch containing roughly three million recordsdata associated to Epstein’s associates and enterprise dealings.
Researchers proceed analyzing the gathering for added references to cryptocurrency involvement.
