Epstein Files Reveal Early Crypto Investments: Coinbase, Blockstream, and Tether Ties

Jeffrey Epstein, a prominent early investor in cryptocurrency, is tied to Coinbase, Blockstream, and Tether through DOJ-released files. In 2014, Epstein invested $3 million in Coinbase, then valued at about $400 million, and sold half of the stake back to Blockchain Capital in 2018. He was also a limited partner in a fund that invested in Blockstream, though the firm has no current financial connection to Epstein. Epstein corresponded with Tether co-founder Brock Pierce, who facilitated introductions to the crypto space, and explored Bitcoin regulation and tax treatment as early as 2018, noting the need for international coordination. The files highlight Epstein’s ethical concerns about funding in crypto, emphasizing “questionable ethics” and “pump and develop” practices. He was introduced to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin indirectly through a Russian investor’s recommendation. Bitcoin, which traded around $691 in 2014, has since surged to about $70,000.