Ripple and Stellar Mentioned in Epstein Documents… Former Ripple CTO: "No Direct Connection"
Amidst social media speculation about Ripple (XRP) and Stellar (XLM) being mentioned in emails related to Jeffrey Epstein, David Schwartz, Ripple's former CTO, has issued an official statement. He cautioned against overinterpretation, stating, "There is no direct connection between Epstein and the two projects."
The controversy began last weekend when a screenshot of an email went viral on social media X (formerly Twitter) following the release of the Epstein documents. The email in the image was sent in 2014 by Austin Hill, then co-founder of Blockstream, to key figures in Epstein's Silicon Valley circle. He expressed his dissatisfaction with investors diversifying their funds into competing projects like Ripple and Stellar, and considered support for such projects to be "hostile."
Schwartz, the former CTO, stated, "The document simply opposes Hill's support for Ripple or Stellar, suggesting that they are enemies. We shouldn't exaggerate just because a project name was mentioned in the email." He emphasized, "I'm unaware of any connection between Ripple, XRP, Stellar, and Epstein."
Schwartz added, “While some of the wealthy individuals indirectly connected to Bitcoin (BTC) may have had connections to Epstein, this is likely a general story for the wealthy.”
He also expressed caution against the spread of conspiracy theories, but said the email “is an example of the problem with the ‘friend-foe’ mentality and negative thinking in cryptocurrencies,” adding, “We are all in this together, and this attitude is detrimental to the entire industry.”
The email was reportedly sent to Joichi Ito, Reid Hoffman, and Epstein. Hill used the expression, "I'm building a Bitcoin-centric ecosystem called Blockstream, so investing in Ripple and Stellar simultaneously is like rooting for two horses at the same time."
This controversy has also reignited a long-standing debate about the early structure of cryptocurrency projects. When a user asked Schwartz about his stance on the "non-profit" structures of Stellar and Ripple, Schwartz responded, "There was internal discussion within the team in the past, and I strongly opposed it." He criticized, "A non-profit organization operating directly on private investor profits seems dishonest and potentially legally risky. It's no different from Walmart establishing a non-profit organization touting its 'savings effect.'"
Meanwhile, as of press time, the price of Ripple (XRP) is trading at $1.64 (approximately 2,376 won). XRP is currently trading above the 0.618 Fibonacci support level on the weekly chart.
Based on the current developments, there is no evidence to suggest that Ripple or Stellar have any substantial links to Epstein. However, this case is noteworthy as it helps us understand the conflicts and investment trends between early cryptocurrency projects.
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This article was summarized using a TokenPost.ai-based language model. Key points in the text may be omitted or inaccurate.
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