Epstein had shown interest in Bitcoin's development on multiple occasions and indirectly supported the early Bitcoin ecosystem

BlockBeats News, December 20th, according to @StarPlatinum_, the U.S. Department of Justice today released the Epstein case investigation documents, the emails revealed that Jeffrey Epstein's $850,000 donation to MIT indirectly funded a cryptocurrency initiative, which hired Bitcoin Core developers when the Bitcoin Foundation collapsed in 2015, such as Gavin Andresen and Wladimir van der Laan.

The emails detailed Epstein's nine secret visits to MIT, codenamed "Voldemort." The emails showed that meetings took place in Epstein's mansion with the following individuals: Brock Pierce (early Bitcoin investor, Tether co-founder), Larry Summers (former U.S. Treasury Secretary), indicating that they discussed Bitcoin long before it became mainstream. Summers, despite concerns about reputation risk, saw the opportunity in Bitcoin.

Epstein also sought contact with Steve Bannon in 2018 for cryptocurrency tax advice, including how to handle tokens and circumvent campaign finance rules, as well as his purchase of blockchain books in 2017, revealing his elite network connections in the emerging cryptocurrency field, but there is no evidence that he had actual influence on Bitcoin development.