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Promote with Leviathan NewsNewly released “Epstein files” from the U.S. Department of Justice show that Jeffrey Epstein was an early, behind‑the‑scenes participant in the crypto sector, including investments in major firms like Coinbase and Blockstream and email exchanges with prominent Bitcoin figures. The material indicates he used his existing tech and finance networks to access early crypto deal flow and policy conversations years after his first sex‑crime conviction. According to the documents and contemporaneous reporting, Epstein invested roughly $3 million into Coinbase’s 2014–2015 Series C round via a U.S. Virgin Islands entity (often identified as IGO Company/IGO LLC), at a time when the exchange was valued around $400 million. Emails show Brock Pierce—a co‑founder of Tether and early crypto VC—pitching the deal and coordinating with Epstein, with coinbase co‑founder Fred Ehrsam aware of the investment. Epstein’s name appears in broader DOJ crypto records alongside other firms like Ripple, Stellar, Bitmain and others, reflecting both proposed and completed deals, though the files themselves do not allege criminal conduct by the crypto companies or individuals mentioned. The files also document Epstein’s role in early Bitcoin infrastructure financing through a 2014 seed investment of about $500,000 in Blockstream, made in partnership with then‑MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito via a fund structure later identified as Kyra/Kyara Investments. Blockstream CEO Adam Back has confirmed Epstein participated indirectly as a limited partner in Ito’s fund but says the fund’s stake was quickly divested and that Blockstream has no ongoing financial connection to Epstein or his estate. Beyond capital, the records capture Epstein in conversations with or about influential tech and crypto figures—such as Brock Pierce, Adam Back, Larry Summers, Michael Saylor, and Vitalik Buterin (indirect reference)—and discussing Bitcoin’s role (store of value vs. payments) and regulatory approaches with political strategists like Steve Bannon. The disclosures matter because they revise the historical record of who financed and advised key early crypto projects, while also underscoring that appearing in the files does not by itself demonstrate wrongdoing by the industry figures involved.
AI-generated background, compiled from web sources — not editorial content.
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