At the beginning of February 2026, the crypto community was buzzing again when a part of the Jeffrey Epstein documents was released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in a large unsealed batch (millions of pages from late 2025 - early 2026). Notably, there was an email dated 10/13/2016 from Epstein sent to Raafat Alsabbagh (an economic advisor linked to the Saudi Royal Family) and several others (including Aziza Alahmadi).
This is not a rumor – this email has been confirmed through sources such as Cryptopolitan, Bitget, CCN, and reports from DOJ files. But does the content really "rewrite Bitcoin history" as some hype on social media suggests? Let's analyze based on accurate information.
Accurate Email Content
Epstein proposed two "radical" ideas about currency for the Middle East and Islamic countries:
A physical fiat currency, called "Sharia", printed with the words "In God We Trust" (like USD), used internally for Muslims.
A digital currency based on Bitcoin technology, compliant with Sharia law – could be seen as the early idea of "Sharia Coin."
At the end of the email, Epstein wrote:
"I have spoken to some of the founders of Bitcoin who are very excited."
(or similarly: "some of the people who created Bitcoin" – the sources quote slightly differently but the main idea is the plural "founders/people"). He suggested that the "Bitcoin creators" were excited about the idea and ready to support it, then awaited a response from the Saudis about the meeting schedule.
Context: Did Epstein Really Know the "Founders" of Bitcoin?
There is no independent evidence: Epstein is known for bragging about relationships with celebrities to enhance credibility (with Bill Gates, Peter Thiel, etc.). In 2016, Bitcoin had a public dev community (like Gavin Andresen, core developers), and Epstein might be referring to them – not necessarily the real Satoshi Nakamoto (who has remained anonymous since 2010).
Indirect connection to early Bitcoin: Documents show Epstein donated hundreds of thousands of USD to MIT Media Lab (2013-2017), which supported Bitcoin Core developers during a tough funding period (after the Bitcoin Foundation weakened). Some developers were paid indirectly through this. Additionally, there are records of Epstein investing in Blockstream (around 2014). However, there is no evidence that he controlled the protocol or knew Satoshi's identity.
The Sharia Coin idea did not materialize: There are no signs that this project advanced, and the Saudi side did not respond (according to the email).
Impact on the Crypto Community
This news quickly went viral on Reddit (r/CryptoCurrency), X, and forums, sparking speculation:
Is Satoshi a group (CIA/NSA/elites)?
If Epstein knew, did the U.S. government know?
Was there an early "backdoor" in Bitcoin?
But reputable sources (like Yahoo fact-check, ABC News) emphasize: This is just a claim from Epstein, there is no email or evidence confirming that he actually met Satoshi. Many analysts view this as a bluff to "sell" the idea to the Saudis.
Conclusion: The Mystery of Satoshi Remains Intact
This email is interesting because it shows Epstein's early interest in crypto (2016, when BTC was only ~$600-700), and there are indirect ties to the Bitcoin ecosystem. However, it does not change Bitcoin history – Satoshi Nakamoto remains the biggest mystery in the industry. If Epstein really knew, he took it to the grave (died 2019).
This is just a small piece in the larger picture of the Epstein network, but enough for the crypto community to "hype" for a few days. What do you think? Is it a bluff, or is there something deeper? Comment below! 👇
