Debunked: Epstein Files Fuel Wild Bitcoin Conspiracy Theories About Control

Freshly unsealed court documents ignite baseless speculation tying the disgraced financier to Bitcoin's underlying protocol—a claim that crumbles under the slightest scrutiny.

The Core of the Fiction

Whispers in dark corners of the internet suggest hidden keys, shadowy control, and a centralized plot. It's a narrative that fundamentally misunderstands Bitcoin's decentralized architecture. No single entity, living or deceased, holds the reins—the network's consensus mechanism prevents it.

Why This Narrative Persists

Conspiracy theories find fertile ground where complexity meets mystery. Bitcoin's pseudonymous origins and technical barriers make it a perfect canvas for projection. Linking it to a known villain offers a simplistic, if utterly false, explanation for a system designed to bypass traditional power brokers.

A Testament to Decentralization's Strength

Ironically, the very existence of these wild claims underscores Bitcoin's resilience. The system operates without a central figurehead or boardroom. Attempts to pin it on a lone bad actor only highlight how thoroughly it cuts out the middlemen—be they bankers or financiers of any repute.

The real scandal isn't in the code; it's in the desperate desire of some to find a puppet master behind every innovation that threatens the old guard's fee-heavy fiefdoms. Bitcoin keeps validating blocks, utterly indifferent to the noise.

What is the MIT connection?

The newly released Epstein files reveal that the late financier donated $850,000 to MIT between 2002 and 2017, with $525,000 directed to the MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative. 

In 2015, when the Bitcoin Foundation faced bankruptcy, MIT’s DCI became the institutional home for several Bitcoin Core developers, including Wladimir van der Laan, Gavin Andresen, and Cory Fields.

Ito resigned in September 2019 after The New Yorker published an investigation into his attempts to conceal financial contributions from Epstein. The scandal exposed how Epstein’s donations helped fund developer salaries during a major funding gap, though the money flowed indirectly through MIT’s institutional mechanisms.

Documents released last month show Ito thanking Epstein in a 2017 email titled “Digital Currency Initiative,” writing that gift funds “allowed us to MOVE quickly and win this round” in recruiting Bitcoin developers. 

However, the notion that these constituted Epstein holding a senior management position in Bitcoin or its foundation is false because Bitcoin’s governance is decentralized, designed to resist influence from any single funding source. 

The three developers who joined MIT reportedly had no knowledge of the source of the funds and were paid by MIT. Multiple organizations now fund Bitcoin development transparently, including the Human Rights Foundation’s Bitcoin Development Fund and non-profit organizations like Brink.

Is the Bitcoin backdoor allegation true?

Riley’s claim that backdoors exist in Bitcoin’s code with “about 100%” probability rests on a misunderstanding of how the FBI recovered the Bitcoin stolen in the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack that occurred in 2021.

Although the FBI didn’t share a full breakdown of how it recovered the funds, it mentioned that it tracked the transactions until it got to a specific address for which the FBI had its private keys, enabling them to retrieve the funds. There was no mention of a vulnerability in Bitcoin’s code that was exploited.

Bitcoin’s open-source nature means thousands of developers worldwide can review every line of code.

X users have repeatedly called out Riley on this point, with one stating, “Bitcoin CORE is fully open-source with thousands of independent contributors, rigorous peer review, reproducible builds, PGP-signed merges since late 2015, constant auditing by global developers, and no credible evidence of undetected malicious changes despite a decade of intense scrutiny.”

The user also threw shade at Riley, asking him to channel his focus on the people abusing children.

A networker, not a controller

The newly unsealed Epstein files show that he was more embedded in Bitcoin’s early circles than previously reported, funding infrastructure projects and engaging with people now considered industry architects.

One of the files showed that in 2014, Epstein invested in Blockstream, one of Bitcoin’s most important infrastructure firms, through an oversubscribed $18 million funding round.

However, Blockstream’s CEO, Adam Back, has denied that Epstein invested in the company, writing on X, “In 2014, during Blockstream’s seed-round investor roadshow, the company was introduced to then MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito. Subsequently, Blockstream met with Jeffrey Epstein, who was described at the time as a limited partner in Ito’s fund. That fund later invested a minority stake in Blockstream. A few months later, Ito’s fund divested its Blockstream shares due to a potential conflict of interest and other concerns. Blockstream has no direct nor indirect financial connection with Jeffrey Epstein, or his estate.”

In 2011, correspondence shows attempts to introduce Epstein to Bitcoin developers Gavin Andresen and Amir Taaki, though Taaki later wrote that he declined Epstein’s investment interest.

In 2016, Epstein pitched a plan to a Saudi royal advisor involving the creation of two digital currencies, writing, “I have spoken to some of the founders of Bitcoin who are very excited”. 

Epstein also reportedly discussed Bitcoin with Peter Thiel in 2014. However, no crypto wallets, blockchain transactions, or crypto-enabled crimes have emerged in Epstein’s records.

Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free.