Bitcoin News Alerts | Episode 2240

Title: Epstein and Bitcoin: Leaked Emails Reveal Elite "Anti-BTC" Pressure
Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Bitcoin News Alerts

Overview:

This episode dives into bombshell revelations from newly leaked Jeffrey Epstein emails, which detail not just links to powerful financial and political figures but also explicit connections and manipulations within the early Bitcoin ecosystem. The host breaks down fresh technical analysis (TA) updates, market reactions to Trump’s Fed nomination, MicroStrategy’s (Saylor Strategy) latest bitcoin buy, and the significant role of unrealized losses in Eth treasury firms. The core focus: how high-level actors attempted to co-opt or pressure Bitcoin, with well-known figures like Peter Thiel, Adam Back, Brock Pierce, and others pulled into the Epstein web.

Key Segment Breakdown

1. BTC Market Update & Technical Analysis

Timestamps: 01:02 – 06:00

• Bitcoin bounced back above $78,400 after a dramatic weekend sell-off, which saw it briefly dip below $75K. The market is showing signs of recovery with an uptick of 1.6% according to live TA.
  • "Bitcoin recaptured 78 GS in today's show... it's been one hell of a bloodbath over the weekend, but we did recover just a little bit." (A, 01:02)
• Ether is back above $2,300, while most altcoins followed suit except Monero (XMR), which is still down.
• Crypto Fear and Greed Index hovers at "14 – extreme fear."
• The host reflects on crypto’s growth vs. gold:
  • "We're now 19 years old as an asset class... the gold market cap alone off the back of the all time high was above 40 trillion. By the time we gain even half the gold market cap, $880,000 bitcoin is conservative." (A, 02:18)
• Technical Analysis (TA): Short-term bullish momentum is visible on lower timeframes, but the monthly chart reveals a concerning fourth consecutive red candle—a phenomenon rarely observed since the bear markets of 2014 and 2018.

2. Macro Signals: Trump’s Fed Nominee & Market Impact

Timestamps: 08:04 – 10:47

• Trump nominates ex-Fed Governor Kevin Warsh (nicknamed "Wash") as Fed Chair, known as "Bitcoin-friendly," allegedly holding $750,000 worth of BTC.
• Mixed market reactions:
  • Warsh expected to continue interest rate cuts but is skeptical of balance sheet expansion.
  • "Investors may be disappointed with Warsh's skeptical posture on the balance sheet expansion... If he adopts policies to shrink the balance sheet, it isn't supportive of risk assets or precious metals." (A, 09:29)
• Interest rate expectations remain unchanged in the short term, with a 49% probability of a 25bps cut at the June FOMC.

3. Saylor Strategy / MicroStrategy’s New $75M BTC Buy

Timestamps: 10:47 – 14:14

• MicroStrategy acquires 855 BTC for $75M, buying the dip as bitcoin dipped below their average cost basis for the first time since late 2023.
  • "This is obviously one of his smaller buys... still buying the dip, BTFD." (A, 11:01)
  • Their total holdings: 713,000 BTC at an average price of $76K per coin.
• PolyMarket odds: 80% chance MicroStrategy will surpass 800,000 BTC this year.
  • "I say that's a smart bet... I don't think he's going to slow down. It's already well past 700,000 for Christ's sake." (A, 13:24)

4. ETH Treasury Firms’ Massive Unrealized Losses

Timestamps: 14:14 – 18:11

• Notably, Bitmine Immersion Tech ("largest corporate ether holder") is holding ~$7B in unrealized losses.
• Sharply Gaming faces over $1B in ETH paper losses.
• Recent ETH price corrections (below $2,200) bring many treasuries underwater, threatening their ability to raise new funds.
  • "Ether, ether, ether. Well, not looking so well right now, is it?" (A, 14:30)
• Pantera Capital predicts brutal capital pruning—only the best-capitalized firms may survive.

5. Crypto Funds Face Second Straight Week of Outflows

Timestamps: 18:16 – 19:53

• CoinShares: $1.7B in outflows last week, totaling $3.4B over two weeks and pushing YTD flows negative.
• BTC investment products led outflows, Ethereum and major alts followed suit.
• BlackRock iShares Bitcoin ETFs bled $1.2B, Grayscale and Fidelity also faced heavy outflows.
  • "Crypto ETF outflows came ahead of the sharp weekend selloff—with Bitcoin dipping below $75,000, the new low of the low for the cycle." (A, 19:53)

6. Feature: Epstein Leaks and Elite "Anti-BTC" Pressure

Timestamps: 19:53 – 34:12

Epstein Emails Reveal:

• Epstein in direct correspondence with Bitcoin founders and early developers.
• Epstein’s role as a bridge between Wall Street, political elites, and the Bitcoin ecosystem—often seeking to use BTC as a “gateway” to controlled, permissioned financial systems (CBDCs, stablecoins).
  • Quote (Simon Dixon):
    • "Phil asked: 'Do you think this is the first step in upping the anti-Bitcoin pressure?' Epstein replies by attacking Bitcoin's ambiguity... Bitcoin was never meant by them to win." (A quoting Dixon, 22:44)
    • "It was meant to prepare the public. Normalize digital money first, then funnel adoption into systems with kill switches and governors. CBDCs, permissioned stablecoins, and regulated rails." (A quoting Dixon, 22:59)
• Brock Pierce (Tether, EOS): Met with Epstein. The leak suggests Pierce was involved in conversations about permissioned crypto networks.
• Adam Back (Blockstream): Received investment funneled through MIT, ultimately traceable to Epstein.
  • "Epstein corresponded with Austin Hill and Adam Back. Epstein’s personal investment of 50Gs in Blockstream was made through the MIT Media Lab." (A, 27:30)
• MIT Link:
  • Epstein donated at least $750,000 to MIT (2002–2017), some supporting the Digital Currency Initiative, funding bitcoin core developers. His name was hidden internally ("they called him Voldemort").
  • "DCI... paying people like Gavin Andresen, Vladimir, and Cory Fields. Epstein visited MIT nine times. His name was hidden internally—they called him Voldemort." (A, 32:23)

Other Notables in the Files

• Peter Thiel: Extensive email correspondence with Epstein; discussions on Bitcoin and digital currency regulation, anti-Bitcoin pressure, and world politics.
  • "Epstein invested $40M in Thiel’s Valor Ventures and even invited him to his notorious island." (C, 26:44)
• Elon Musk:
  • Email exchange shows Musk inquiring about parties with Epstein in late 2012 despite Epstein’s prior criminal record.
  • "So, who emails Epstein about a crazy party after it’s already known in what was it, 2008 that he was a pedophile?... the name is Elon Musk because this email was from 2012. So Elon go [explicit] yourself." (A, 28:54)
• Bill Gates, Blythe Masters: Linked through 2015 introductions with Epstein, including discussions around Blockstream investment and more scandalous personal allegations.
• Michael Saylor: Named only through third-party correspondence; reportedly referenced in Epstein’s emails as the "nice guy who wants to upgrade his social life," not as a direct contact.
  • "Strategy Chair Saylor appears in the Epstein files through third-party correspondence... describes Saylor as a nice guy who wants to upgrade his social life." (A, 31:02)

Big Idea: Weaponizing Bitcoin’s Ideals

• The leaked emails and comments suggest an effort by elite networks to shift digital currency development toward permissioned, surveilled, or centrally controlled versions, undermining Bitcoin’s self-sovereign ethos.
  • "Bitcoin was a threat to these scumbags. They used it as a gateway drug to CBDCs and stablecoins. Trump is continuing this trajectory. Don't fall for it. One Bitcoin self custody, no issuer." (A quoting Dixon, 24:00)
• Host’s Commentary:
  • Emphasizes the corrupting power of institutional interests:
  • "The higher you want to climb, the more compromise you must be... that's how power is maintained in the West." (A quoting Dixon, 24:58)
  • "Epstein was a connector, a compromised agent. The same people released in the files are the people that created Epstein. The structure remains intact." (A quoting Dixon, 24:58)

Notable Quotes

• Banks/Crypto & Power:

  • "Power is a mafia. You can't leave. This is systemic and still exists today. Epstein had predecessors and now has successors... The proof of weapons network is enforced through mutual compromise amongst those who rise—all execs, politicians, all university leaders, all who seek power." (A quoting Dixon, 25:24–25:53)

• On Bitcoin’s Mission:

  • "Bottom line, Bitcoin was a threat to these scumbags. They used it as a gateway drug to CBDCs and stablecoins." (A quoting Dixon, 24:00)

• Host’s Position:

  • "Bitcoin self-custody, no issuer... this is consistent with my previous analysis about Epstein trying to compromise developers." (A, 24:01)
  • "Millions of files have been released and I'm sure we're going to hear more and more and more..." (A, 31:43)

Memorable Moments

• BTC TA humor:
  • "[Let's] do a deep dive into the TA, look at some of the charts, aka astrology for the brosis." (A, 02:43)
• Sharp jab at media/narratives:
  • "Do suits ever tell the truth? Absolutely not." (A, 09:42)
• Cynical take on Elon Musk & Epstein:
  • "I don't believe him. I don't believe anything Elon says. He's still pretending the earth is spinning at a thousand miles per hour and that he's sending rockets to Mars. Con artist." (C, 30:01)
• Host’s warning about elites:
  • "The true architects will never be named and never meant to be. The structure remains intact. Epstein was eliminated once he became a liability. Or, or was he?" (A, 24:58)

Takeaways & Conclusion

• The episode weaves together market turmoil, institutional reactions, and leaked evidence of longstanding elite engagement and manipulation attempts in crypto.
• Leaked documents significantly support suspicions that the rise of digital currencies (especially Bitcoin) did not go unnoticed by power brokers—many sought to shape, subvert, or profit from the ecosystem’s growth.
• The host emphasizes Bitcoin’s value in self-custody and resistance to centralized capture while warning that the “war” for digital money remains ongoing—and the playbook revealed in these emails is being updated for the CBDC era.

Q&A & Outro

Timestamps: 34:12–34:49

• The host invites further reflection and listener comments, promising ongoing coverage.
  • "Let me know your thoughts. Man, just hit you with a dump right there and I'll continue to read the comments out loud... And I look forward to seeing you on tomorrow's episode. HODL." (A, 34:26–34:49)

End of summary.