Did Notorious Sex Offender Jeffery Epstein Really Have Ties To Bitcoin?

New emails reveal Jeffrey Epstein tried to shape US crypto rules, focusing on tax reporting, global coordination and industry influence.

Newly released emails show how Jeffrey Epstein tried to influence the early direction of crypto rules in the United States. The messages offer a rare look at how he viewed digital assets during a time when government agencies lacked clear guidance.

Epstein’s Attempts To Shape Policy

Epstein reportedly wrote to Steve Bannon in 2018 to ask for help reaching officials at the United States Treasury. 

He wanted direct answers about how the government planned to handle taxes linked to crypto use. He even pushed Bannon to check whether Treasury staff would respond to him or whether other channels were needed.

Bannon told him that the matter had moved to the National Security Council. However, Epstein disagreed. He pointed to the office within the Treasury that works on terrorism finance and argued that the team had considered tax issues tied to digital coins. 

His emails showed a personal interest in keeping the government focused on tax reporting and enforcement.

Epstein even suggested a voluntary reporting form for gains from digital assets. He wrote that such a form could allow the department to target “bad guys” who hid income through coins.

His messages described digital asset rules in the United States as tightly linked to tax, reporting and disclosure. The same messages painted international issues as much more complex. 

He wrote that the problems outside the country were serious and that governments needed to act.

Concerns Around Everyday Crypto Use

Epstein also raised issues about simple daily transactions. One message mentioned a scenario where someone bought furniture using Bitcoin on Overstock. 

He argued that such a purchase could trigger a taxable gain and wanted clarity on how the government expected users to report it.

He believed that people would run into many confusing situations without clear rules. His focus on ordinary purchases suggested that he expected more Americans to use digital assets over time.

Epstein’s Wider Crypto Interests

Thousands of messages released this week include more exchanges that show how deeply he followed developments in the sector. 

One text from 2018 compared the rise of digital assets to the early internet. He believed that countries needed shared agreements to prevent illegal use and to avoid confusion. Without coordination, he claimed the sector risked running outside the law.

In 2019, he sent strong warnings about Libra, the stablecoin project introduced by Facebook. 

He said it was not the same as a currency and said it could threaten the financial system if controlled by the wrong people. He added that this concern was the reason he chose not to back the project.

Other emails show that meetings about crypto took place at his Manhattan townhouse. He hosted conversations between Brock Pierce, co-founder of Tether, and Larry Summers, the former United States Treasury Secretary. 

Summers reportedly listened to Pierce describe himself as a major investor in Bitcoin. He also worried about how large market swings could affect his own reputation if he ever invested.

Epstein’s messages referenced sessions involving many well-known figures from finance, tech and crypto. His emails included schedules showing visits from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. These meetings took place during a period when major investors were just starting to show interest in coins.

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