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.
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