Epstein’s Bitcoin Emails Expose Links to Core Developer Jeremy Rubin

The November 2025 release of over 20,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein's emails and documents by the U.S. House Oversight Committee has sparked fresh scrutiny into the disgraced financier's far reaching network. While much of the media spotlight has fallen on Epstein's mentions of President Trump, a lesser-noticed thread emerges: his ongoing involvement in the world of Bitcoin development.

Earlier this week we wrote about Epstein's ties to Joi Ito and MIT Media Lab, who accepted Epstein's donations to fund cryptocurrency research in 2015. But the new documents uncover something more direct and sustained; a personal correspondence with Bitcoin Core contributor Jeremy Rubin, suggesting Epstein's influence in crypto circles extended well beyond institutional channels like Ito's.

This revelation broadens our understanding of how Epstein, ever the self-styled convener of elites, wove himself into emerging tech ecosystems. Rubin's emails to Epstein in 2017 read like casual check-ins from a mentee to a backer, touching on Bitcoin politics, technical innovations, and international outreach. It's a glimpse into how Epstein's shadowy funding and networking may have quietly shaped Bitcoin's early academic and development landscape, even after his 2008 conviction.

The Known Epstein-Ito-MIT Connection

To contextualize, around 2014-2015, Epstein funneled approximately $850,000, some routed through associate Leon Black, to MIT's Media Lab. This cash enabled the launch of the Digital Currency Initiative (DCI) in April 2015, under Ito's leadership. DCI aimed to bridge academia and blockchain tech, supporting Bitcoin Core developers and research. Emails from that era show Ito thanking Epstein for the "gift funds" that allowed them to "move quickly," with Epstein replying positively about devs like Gavin Andresen ("Gavin is clever").

The scandal erupted in 2019 when Ito's Epstein ties became public, leading to his resignation amid backlash. Leaked messages revealed Epstein's visits to MIT, dinners with faculty, and his role in facilitating crypto discussions (e.g., a 2015 meeting at his Manhattan townhouse where Brock Pierce met with Larry Summers to discuss Bitcoin). But by then, the funding had already flowed, indirectly bankrolling Bitcoin's infrastructure. What wasn't widely known, until this 2025 release, is how Epstein maintained personal lines to key players in the space, like Jeremy Rubin, long after the initial donations.

The New Revelations: Rubin's 2017 Emails to Epstein

Buried in the House Oversight committee's dump are emails from February 2017 involving Rubin, then a rising star in Bitcoin development fresh off his MIT days. The correspondence starts with Rubin emailing Epstein from Japan, where he was teaching a Bitcoin class to engineers. The tone is familiar, like a progress report to a mentor. From February 1, 2017, Jeremy Rubin writes to Epstein:

"Hey Jeffrey,
Thought I'd check in and see what's up on your end.
- I've been watching closely Trump's appointees and there, he might be putting Balaji (a big bitcoiner) as FDA head, and Allison seems to be somewhat in favor of something like Bitcoin. And of course, Thiel has said that Bitcoin is what Paypal should have been... Curious to hear where your head is at on this matter.
- Last week, I presented my research at Stanford's BPASE, it was well received. The most interesting thing I came up with for that is an inverse-input contract; i.e., funds that are "locked" to be spent only in the case where there are other funds that are not used in a specific way. An example of something that could be built with this: a matching donation contract, where you agree to donate your money to charity if someone else donates to charity, and you would not be able to release your funds from that agreement until they use their funds not for charity.
- I'm in Japan this week, teaching a class to 100 Japanese Engineers to get the up to speed on bitcoin (with DG). It's very interesting to see the trepidation first hand that they have with respect to the technology, despite their debit-based society being more geared for it in any case (DG felt that
even putting Bitcoin in the course name would scare away students). One of my friends (a hedge fund manager) told me that female japanese engineers are very good, and drastically under-valued. I
made sure to get a few invited to the class, we'll see if he's right. On the whole, it will be interesting to see the caliber of engineer Japan has to offer on this front."

Epstein responds by asking how long Rubin will be there, prompting Rubin to inquire if Epstein is in Japan too. Epstein clarifies he's in New York, and Rubin specifies his location at Digital Garage (DG), Joi Ito's company, which Ito co-founded. It's a brief exchange, but it implies prior rapport, Rubin isn't just introducing himself; he's updating Epstein on Bitcoin politics (e.g., Trump appointees like Balaji Srinivasan, rumored for FDA head, and Peter Thiel's pro-Bitcoin stance), his Stanford talk on "inverse-input contracts" (an early covenant idea that foreshadowed his later BIP-119/CheckTemplateVerify/CTV work), and the DG teaching gig aimed at onboarding Japanese talent.

These aren't cold outreach emails; they are sustained communications. Rubin, "fresh off MIT/DCI," may have viewed Epstein as a "mentor" or funder figure, perhaps keeping him looped in as an influential backer for Bitcoin development. The crossover is clear: Epstein's 2015 funding kickstarted DCI, where Rubin played a key role, and the 2017 emails show sustained interest in Rubin's updates. This wasn't just institutional support via Ito; it evolved into direct, personal networking.

Jeremy Rubin's Background as a Key Player in Bitcoin's Academic Roots

To understand Rubin's role, let's map his timeline. As a prodigious MIT undergrad, he was at the heart of Bitcoin's early academic push co-founding initiatives that aligned with Epstein-funded projects. Here's a detailed breakdown:

Rubin's path screams "Bitcoin wunderkind": From MIT airdrops to Core contributions, he bridged academia and open-source dev. His 2017 emails came as he transitioned from MIT (graduating that year) to independent work, including the DG gig, still linked to Ito's world.

How Epstein's World Collided with Bitcoin Development

Epstein wasn’t a coder or an investor in Bitcoin startups; he was a networker, using wealth to convene elites and shape ideas, for example, linking his circle to Peter Thiel, who was among the first to introduce him to Bitcoin. Epstein's MIT funding via Ito created the DCI ecosystem where Rubin thrived, his cash indirectly supported Rubin's early research and outreach. But the 2017 emails suggest it went further: Epstein maintained direct lines, receiving "progress reports" on dev advancements and politics.

This wasn't isolated. Epstein hosted crypto talks (e.g., 2015 Pierce-Summers meeting), lobbied Steve Bannon on taxes (2018), and warned about Libra's risks (2019: "could take down financial system in wrong hands"). Rubin's updates, on Thiel's views, Trump appointees, and covenant-like tech, fit Epstein's pattern of staying informed on cutting-edge trends, and his existing network.

The 2019 Ito-Epstein email (Ito bouncing $25K but keeping Black's funds) shows MIT cutting ties post-arrest, but Rubin's contact predates the scandal's public blowup. Was Rubin aware of Epstein's funding? It's not totally clear, many at MIT weren't until 2019. But it highlights how Epstein's "convener" role persisted. Starting with Ito/DCI, evolving into personal check-ins with devs like Rubin.

A Broader Shadow Over Bitcoin's Origins?

Just to be clear, this new info doesn't implicate Rubin in wrongdoing, at least on the surface for the eye to see, as he's a respected developer focused on Bitcoin and blockchain tech.

But it opens how Epstein's tentacles reached deeper into crypto than just Ito and investors like Peter Thiel. Clearly early Bitcoin development included a vast array of complex funding that wasn't just grassroots. Maybe there is more in the Epstein email archive to see. Time will only tell as things unravel.

We created an Epstein Bitcoin Email archive to go through all the newly released Epstein emails relating to Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and blockchain, to search through all the communications for important information relating to this topic. Try it out!