Crypto’s Early Days Had Unexpected Players 👀
Recently unsealed case files revealed that Jeffrey Epstein had deeper exposure to crypto than many realized.
While Bitcoin was still in its early adoption phase, he was reportedly:
🔎 Studying Bitcoin’s role in reshaping the monetary system
🏗 Exploring the infrastructure layer behind the network
💰 Investing early in key crypto companies
Notable details: ➡️ Invested ~$3M in Coinbase’s 2014 funding round (via IGO LLC)
➡️ Later exited with significant profit
➡️ Early investor in Blockstream (Bitcoin infrastructure firm)
➡️ Emails referenced an invitation to Adam Back (Blockstream CEO)
➡️ Participated in private crypto discussions & industry events
This doesn’t change Bitcoin’s fundamentals — but it highlights something important:
Crypto’s early ecosystem attracted people from finance, tech, academia… and controversial figures too.
When a new financial system emerges, it draws interest from all corners — visionaries, opportunists, institutions, and outsiders.
📌 The takeaway:
The technology is neutral. The participants are not.
History often has strange footnotes — and crypto is no exception.
What other surprising names do you think were involved in crypto’s early days?