Epstein Said He Spoke to Bitcoin’s Creators – Here’s What the Emails Show

TLDR

• Jeffrey Epstein claimed in a 2016 email he spoke directly with Bitcoin’s creators about building a Sharia-compliant cryptocurrency
• The DOJ released emails showing Epstein pitched two currencies for the Middle East—one physical, one digital using Bitcoin technology
• Epstein used the plural “founders” in his email, fueling theories that multiple people created Bitcoin
• DOJ files dating to 2013 show Epstein received Bitcoin analysis and was connected to early crypto investors like Reid Hoffman
• Emails reveal Epstein was involved in early cryptocurrency discussions across tech and finance circles, including disputes about Ripple and Stellar

Jeffrey Epstein claimed he had direct contact with the people who created Bitcoin. This claim appeared in emails released by the Department of Justice in a collection of approximately three million files related to Epstein’s business dealings.

The October 13, 2016 email was sent from Epstein’s Gmail account to Raafat Alsabbagh and Aziza Alahmadi. In the message, Epstein discussed building a digital currency system for the Middle East using Bitcoin technology.

Epstein wrote that he had “spoken to some of the founders of Bitcoin who are very excited” about his proposal. The email outlined plans for two separate currencies designed for Muslim populations in the Middle East.

The first currency would be a physical fiat currency called “the Sharia.” Each bill would carry the phrase “In God We Trust” similar to U.S. dollars. The second would be a digital Sharia-compliant currency built on blockchain technology.

The claim about speaking with Bitcoin’s creators cannot be verified. Bitcoin was created by someone using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, whose real identity has never been confirmed. No one knows if Nakamoto is one person or multiple people.

Epstein’s use of the plural word “founders” supports theories that Bitcoin was created by more than one person. The Bitcoin community has debated this question for years.

Early Crypto Connections

The DOJ files show Epstein received information about Bitcoin as early as April 2013. Boris Nikolic forwarded him an analysis written by Tren Griffin about Bitcoin’s function as a payment system.

Griffin’s analysis stated that Bitcoin had no intrinsic value beyond what users assigned to it. The message was also sent to Bill Gates and Michael Larson. Griffin noted that Bitcoin had become popular among libertarian venture capitalists in Silicon Valley.

A July 31, 2014 email from Austin Hill to Epstein discussed concerns about Stellar’s launch. The email was copied to Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, and Joichi Ito, who directed MIT Media Lab at the time.

Hill’s message carried the subject line “Stellar isn’t so Stellar.” He expressed concern that investors backing both Ripple and Stellar created conflicts in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Middle East Currency Plans

Epstein’s 2016 proposal described creating internal currencies for Muslims in the Middle East. The digital version would function like the dollar but include religious compliance requirements for Islamic finance.

The email included a confidentiality notice at the bottom. It warned that the message contained privileged information and should not be shared. The document is now part of the public DOJ release.

Epstein said in the email that he was waiting for dates from his Saudi contacts. He described his currency ideas as “radical” in the message.

The physical currency would be designed for internal use among Muslim populations. The digital currency would use Bitcoin’s underlying blockchain technology.

Researchers continue examining the DOJ’s document collection for more references to Epstein’s cryptocurrency involvement. The files contain emails, analysis, and correspondence related to his business activities.

The emails show Epstein maintained connections to prominent figures in technology and finance during the early years of cryptocurrency development. These connections stretched across multiple companies and investment firms involved in blockchain projects.

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