TechFlow news, February 5: According to a report by Decrypt, recently released U.S. Department of Justice documents reveal that the relationship between the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Tether co-founder Brock Pierce was closer than previously known. The two began frequent communication after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex crimes; email records show they discussed not only cryptocurrency-related matters but also leveraged each other’s networks to advance their business interests.
The documents indicate that Epstein introduced Pierce to real estate investor Andrew Farkas, while Pierce provided Epstein with information about Bitcoin. Additionally, Pierce invited Epstein to visit his residence in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and expressed interest in connecting with the Winklevoss twins. After Epstein stated he did not know the Winklevoss twins, Pierce offered to help facilitate an introduction between Epstein and the two Bitcoin billionaires. Epstein wanted to send someone to meet them and learn about their activities in the cryptocurrency space. Furthermore, Pierce had also included Epstein in his plan to acquire the then-still-intact cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox.
These documents form part of over three million pages of Epstein-related materials released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Earlier reports indicated that Epstein had invested in cryptocurrency companies such as Coinbase and Blockstream. Specifically, Epstein provided $3 million to Brock Pierce for investment in Coinbase; however, Blockchain Capital stated that Epstein ultimately invested in Coinbase independently of Brock Pierce’s company.
