E-mails from 2018 show that Jeffrey Epstein attempted early on to influence US tax and crypto regulation. In the documents, he asked his contact Steve Bannon for support in establishing communication with the US Department of the Treasury and advocated for a voluntary reporting requirement for crypto gains.
According to newly released emails, former investment banker and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein demanded that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin be treated clearly under tax law – particularly transactions via online purchases or payments in kind. He sharply criticized Facebook Inc.’s planned Libra project and called for global coordination in developing regulation for digital assets.
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Facts in detail
Epstein corresponded via email with Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon and pressed him to obtain a clear answer from the Treasury: “Will [T]reasury respond…?” In these messages, he identified, among other things, furniture purchases with Bitcoin as taxable events and proposed the creation of a form for the voluntary reporting of crypto gains. He also arranged meetings with key figures in the tech and financial world such as Peter Thiel and Brock Pierce to build political influence in the digital-asset sector.
These emails show that crypto regulation was not an incidental topic for Epstein prior to 2019 – he viewed it as a strategic playing field and attempted to exert influence at an early stage. The connection to Steve Bannon suggests that he sought political support, not just engagement with market-related issues. At the same time, this raises questions about transparency and influence within the early crypto-lobbying landscape.
Epstein’s focus on digital surveillance and tax enforcement
The emails also reveal that Epstein assessed the emerging crypto industry not only from a tax perspective but also through a security-policy lens. In his messages, he argued that the lack of documentation requirements for Bitcoin transactions could pose a “systemic risk” for tax authorities, as capital movements are difficult to trace without a central intermediary.
He therefore explicitly called for stronger data collection on wallet transfers and a clearly defined reporting structure for exchanges and payment service providers. According to the documents, Epstein warned that without early regulation, the US government could end up in a position where large amounts of wealth arise outside the reach of tax authorities. This assessment shows that as early as 2018 he viewed crypto assets as a subject of governmental oversight and compliance – years before stricter reporting obligations such as today’s debated “crypto broker rule” appeared prominently on the political agenda.
