Bitcoin Core Developers and the Funding Gap
At the time, the Bitcoin project was governed by a small group of maintainers—often described as the “Linux kernel model” of crypto.
Five core developers.
Roughly a hundred contributors.
No formal hierarchy—but real influence.
When the Bitcoin Foundation ran out of money, MIT DCI stepped in and began paying key figures, including:
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Gavin Andresen (former lead developer)
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Wladimir van der Laan (long-time maintainer)
This support was critical. Bitcoin did not “run itself.” Human labor kept it alive.
Again—this does not mean Epstein directed funding decisions.
But the overlap in time, money, and institutional cover is real.
The Epstein–MIT Relationship Was Not Transparent
Emails and internal reporting later revealed disturbing facts:
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Epstein visited MIT at least nine times
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His name was deliberately hidden in internal records
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Staff referred to him as “Voldemort”
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Meetings were held off-calendar
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Donations were underreported
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Senior MIT officials privately approved the relationship
This was not accidental negligence.
This was deliberate reputational shielding.
When the same institution becomes a funding bridge for Bitcoin’s core development, questions naturally follow.
