February 2 News, among the approximately three million documents recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice, there is a sensitive email related to Bitcoin. The documents show that Jeffrey Epstein claimed in 2016 to have had exchanges with the “Bitcoin founder” and planned to use blockchain technology to design a digital currency system for the Middle East. This statement quickly drew attention within the crypto community.
The email was sent on October 13, 2016, and was addressed to Rafat Al-Sabbagh and Aziza Alahmadi. Epstein mentioned in the letter that he “had spoken with some Bitcoin founders,” and that they were interested in his ideas. The email described two currency schemes aimed at Muslim communities: one called “Sharia,” a physical currency, and another based on blockchain technology, compliant with Islamic financial standards.
Since Bitcoin was created by an individual or team under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, whose true identity has never been publicly revealed, Epstein’s claims cannot currently be verified. However, his use of the plural “founders” has reignited discussions about whether Bitcoin was developed collaboratively by multiple people.
The legal documents also reveal that Epstein had begun exploring Bitcoin-related information as early as 2013. Boris Nikolic forwarded him an analysis report written by Tren Griffin, discussing Bitcoin’s potential as a payment system. In the same year, Austin Hill also sent Epstein an email expressing concerns about the Stellar project, copying Reid Hoffman and Joichi Ito, indicating his ongoing contacts within the tech and finance circles.
Regarding the Middle Eastern currency plan, Epstein stated that he was waiting for the Saudi Arabian side to schedule a meeting and described the project as a “radical concept.” Although these schemes were never implemented, the emails suggest he attempted to introduce Bitcoin’s underlying technology into regional financial systems.
Researchers are still reviewing the relevant documents. As more details emerge, these historical emails are prompting the public to reexamine the complex relationships between early cryptocurrencies, power, and capital.
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