February 2 News, regarding the so-called “hidden connections” between Jeffrey Epstein and early crypto projects, has once again stirred discussions on social media, bringing Ripple, XRP, and Stellar into the spotlight. In response, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz publicly stated that the current allegations lack any substantial evidence, and the narrative of “behind-the-scenes manipulation” is mostly based on misinterpretation and emotional reading.
The incident originated from an old email sent in 2014 by Austin Hill, co-founder of Blockstream, which was recently rediscovered. The email included Epstein’s name among the recipients and mentioned that Ripple and Stellar, founded by Jed McCaleb, were “bad for the ecosystem.” Some netizens inferred from this that Epstein may have influenced the development of XRP or Stellar behind the scenes, sparking a new round of controversy.
David Schwartz said that if some people see these claims as “the tip of the iceberg,” the real concern is not the content itself but the underlying antagonistic mindset. He pointed out that treating internal crypto projects as enemies only deepens divisions and causes long-term harm to the entire digital asset space.
In another response, Schwartz further clarified that he has never seen any evidence linking Epstein directly to Ripple, XRP, or Stellar, nor has any project member collaborated with him or his core circle. Even if Epstein had interacted with some Bitcoin-related individuals, such connections are not uncommon among ultra-rich social networks and do not prove his involvement in specific on-chain projects.
From a timeline perspective, some analysts believe the focus is more likely on Stellar rather than XRP. Ripple and XRP launched in 2012, Jed McCaleb left Ripple in 2013, and founded Stellar in 2014. Based on this background, the document mentioning “secret Bitcoin projects” seems to point more towards Stellar’s development stage rather than XRP.
Overall, this wave of controversy more reflects market sensitivity to XRP’s background rather than concrete facts. For investors concerned with Ripple, XRP disputes, Epstein crypto rumors, and Stellar’s early history, rational verification of information sources remains key to discerning truth from falsehood.
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