Newly released investigative records from the U.S. Department of Justice, published on January 30, 2026, contain early references to XRP and Stellar (XLM) in a 2014 email exchange linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
The documents were disclosed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and reflect internal crypto industry disagreements, rather than any direct involvement by the projects with Epstein himself.
The release has drawn attention due to the prominence of the assets mentioned, but the context outlined in the records points to ecosystem-level debates, not operational or financial relationships.
At the center of the disclosure is an email dated July 31, 2014, sent by industry pioneer Austin Hill to Epstein and technology investor Joi Ito. In the message, Hill criticized the emerging rivalry between Ripple and the then-newly launched Stellar network.
Hill warned against backing “two horses in the same race,” arguing that supporting both initiatives could fragment developer focus and undermine the broader payments infrastructure that early blockchain advocates were attempting to build at the time. The language reflects strategic disagreement, rather than collaboration or endorsement.
Importantly, the records do not indicate that Epstein played any role in the development, funding, or governance of either project.
Following public attention around the release, David Schwartz, CTO Emeritus of Ripple, issued a clarification on January 31, 2026. Schwartz stated that neither Ripple nor Stellar had professional or business relationships with Epstein or his associates, emphasizing that the email reflected third-party commentary rather than project involvement.
The clarification aimed to separate historical industry discussion from any implication of direct ties, particularly given the sensitive nature of the broader Epstein disclosures.
The XRP and Stellar reference appears alongside a range of historical mentions involving early cryptocurrency discussions. Previous document releases have shown that figures such as Larry Summers and Brock Pierce discussed Bitcoin in conversations at Epstein’s residence.
Other records suggest Epstein provided funding to the MIT Digital Currency Initiative, which indirectly supported early Bitcoin Core development — though no evidence has emerged indicating editorial or technical influence.
The files also reference Epstein’s interest in Facebook’s Libra (later renamed Diem) in 2018, shortly before his arrest, including discussions around U.S. cryptocurrency tax policy.
While the release of the Epstein investigative files has generated renewed scrutiny, the XRP and Stellar references appear to document early competitive tensions within the crypto industry, not illicit collaboration or project-level exposure. Public responses from industry leaders have focused on context and clarification, underscoring that the mentions reflect historical discourse during crypto’s formative years.
As more documents continue to be reviewed, market participants are differentiating between incidental references and substantive involvement — an important distinction as legacy communications from the early blockchain era resurface under modern scrutiny.
