Newly released emails show that Jeffrey Epstein was deeply concerned about cryptocurrency regulation and taxes before his death. The convicted sex offender sought the help of Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to President Trump, to influence U.S. crypto policy in 2018.
Epstein framed cryptocurrency as both a domestic tax issue and a global concern. In February 2018, he emailed Bannon asking whether the U.S. Treasury would respond to his questions about crypto or if another way was needed to get advice.
Bannon replied that the matter was being handled at the National Security Council. Epstein noted that the Treasury’s office of terrorism finance was already considering crypto taxes.
In his emails, Epstein proposed that the Treasury create a voluntary disclosure form for realized crypto gains to “fuck all the bad guys.” He also discussed hypothetical examples, such as buying furniture with Bitcoin and realizing a taxable gain.
Epstein described “our cr[y]pto coin issues” as mainly related to U.S. tax, regulation, and disclosure, adding that the global situation was “some bad shit. Very bad.”
The documents show Epstein meeting with high-profile crypto figures. He reportedly hosted Brock Pierce, co-founder of Tether, at his Manhattan townhouse. Epstein also criticized Facebook’s Libra stablecoin project, arguing in 2019 that it could threaten the financial system if mismanaged.
Texts suggest Epstein compared cryptocurrency to the internet, advocating for international coordination. He warned that without proper oversight, crypto could become “a Ponzi scheme outside of the law.”
The emails reveal that Epstein had been tracking cryptocurrency developments closely and tried to influence early policy discussions, years before the U.S. government established clear regulatory guidance.
