Bitcoin insiders face Epstein-era email fallout over Ripple, Stellar feud
Leaked Epstein court files show a 2014 Austin Hill email pressuring investors tied to Ripple and Stellar, reviving scrutiny of Epstein’s Bitcoin funding, MIT links and XRP’s long SEC fight.
- Newly released court records show a 2014 email where Blockstream co-founder Austin Hill told Jeffrey Epstein, Joichi Ito and Reid Hoffman that investor support for Ripple and Stellar conflicted with his Bitcoin-focused project and asked to cut allocations.
- Social media commentator Patrick L Riley used the leak to claim XRP’s SEC troubles stem from undisclosed Epstein-era relationships and MIT ties, but available documentation only confirms funding and academic overlaps, not a directive to target Ripple.
- The files also highlight Epstein’s role in financing Bitcoin development through the Bitcoin Foundation and MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative, deepening questions about how early crypto governance, philanthropy and controversial donors intersected.
Leaked court documents have revealed email communications between convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein and prominent figures in the cryptocurrency and technology sectors, according to records reviewed by multiple outlets.
The documents show that in 2014, Austin Hill sent emails to an address associated with Epstein, with MIT Media Lab director Joichi Ito and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman copied on the correspondence, according to the court filings.
Bitcoin, Epstein and MIT
Hill’s email referenced competition in blockchain projects, identifying Stellar and Ripple as competitive threats, the records indicate. The message requested a reduction in investment allocations due to conflicts of interest, stating that co-founders had asked to decrease or eliminate certain allocations because some investors supported rival platforms.
Social media user Patrick L Riley posted claims on X alleging that regulatory actions against cryptocurrency companies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission’s case against Ripple and XRP, were connected to undisclosed relationships involving Epstein. The post also alleged Epstein provided support to the Bitcoin Foundation. These claims have not been independently verified.
Ito resigned from his position at MIT Media Lab in 2019 following reports by The Boston Globe detailing his relationship with Epstein. Ito publicly apologized for accepting donations from Epstein, who was convicted of sex offenses. The court records show Ito participated in cryptocurrency-related discussions with Epstein.
Hoffman’s involvement in the email exchanges has drawn attention due to his extensive venture capital network spanning major technology sectors. The documents indicate that figures in the technology industry sought investment guidance and maintained contact with Epstein despite his criminal history.
The SEC initiated enforcement action against Ripple Labs in 2020, a case that continued for several years before reaching a partial resolution in 2023.
The court documents were released as part of ongoing legal proceedings related to Epstein’s estate and associated civil cases. Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
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