Epstein Ties to Coinbase Revealed in Early Funding, Bloomberg Reports - Crypto Economy

CryptoEconomy · 2026-02-04T03:06:29+00:00

Newly released DOJ documents reveal Jeffrey Epstein's $3 million investment in Coinbase through Blockchain Capital in 2014. His involvement has raised concerns about due diligence practices in the crypto market, prompting calls for increased transparency from affected firms.

CryptoEconomy

2026-02-04 03:06:29

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Newly declassified documents from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that in 2014, Jeffrey Epstein reportedly made a $3 million investment in Coinbase. These files show that the operation was channeled through Brock Pierce’s firm, Blockchain Capital, and included direct communications with the exchange’s co-founder, Fred Ehrsam. Researcher Kyle Torpey confirmed that these archives detail strategic discussions and face-to-face meetings intended to secure Epstein’s participation in one of the market’s largest platforms.

Blockstream was also impacted by these revelations following the leak of emails in which its co-founder, Austin Hill, discussed seed investment rounds with Epstein and Joi Ito (former director of the MIT Media Lab). In response, current Blockstream CEO Adam Back clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that the company maintains no current financial ties to Epstein’s estate. Back explained that Epstein participated briefly as a limited partner in an external fund that sold its Blockstream shares months later due to conflicts of interest.

Moving forward, the market is expectant of imminent investigations regarding the due diligence (KYC) practices applied by venture capital firms and exchanges during their foundational stages. Although these investments occurred over a decade ago, public and regulatory pressure could force the mentioned companies to issue more detailed statements. Transparency regarding the origin of initial funds will be key to maintaining institutional reputation in an increasingly scrutinized ecosystem.

Source:https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-03/epstein-backed-coinbase-in-crypto-exchange-s-early-years

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