Leaked Email to Epstein Framed XRP Supporters as Enemy, Ex-Ripple CTO Says
Analysis
Price Impact
LowThe news details a leaked 2014 email revealing historical crypto tribalism and attempts to frame xrp/stellar supporters as enemies. while interesting historically, it presents no new, current developments that would directly influence xrp's market fundamentals or sentiment significantly today.
Trustworthiness
HighThe information is sourced from leaked jeffrey epstein files, analyzed and commented on by ripple's former cto, david 'joelkatz' schwartz, and reported by u.today, lending it high credibility.
Price Direction
NeutralGiven that the email dates back to 2014, the revelations are largely historical. they do not introduce new factors that would materially alter current market perception, adoption, or regulatory outlook for xrp, therefore having a neutral impact on its immediate price direction.
Time Effect
ShortAny market reaction or discussion stemming from this historical news is likely to be very brief. its relevance to current trading decisions or long-term investment theses for xrp is minimal, fading quickly after initial discussion.
Original Article:
Article Content:
Cover image via U.Today Read U.TODAY on Google News The "Stellar isn't so stellar" email The ultimatum: "pick a horse" Advertisement Newly resurfaced documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files have shed light on the aggressive tribalism of the early cryptocurrency industry. High-profile investors were pressured to view XRP and Stellar XLM supporters as threats to the Bitcoin ecosystem, according to a 2014 email chain analyzed by Ripple's former Chief Technology Officer David "JoelKatz" Schwartz The "Stellar isn't so stellar" email The controversy stems from an email dated July 31, 2014. It was sent by entrepreneur Austin Hill to a group of high-profile investors, including Reid Hoffman, Joichi Ito, and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. HOT Stories Leaked Email to Epstein Framed XRP Supporters as Enemy, Ex-Ripple CTO Says Ripple CTO Emeritus Breaks Silence on XRP and XLM in Epstein Files Crypto Market Review: Did XRP Downtrend End? Shiba Inu (SHIB) Taking a Beating, Bitcoin (BTC) Safe Above $80,000 U.Today Crypto Digest: XRP Millionaires Awaken, Shiba Inu Buyers Step In, Dogecoin Sees 10,782% Rise in Futures Volume In the email, titled "Stellar isn't so Stellar," Hill urges the investors to reconsider their financial support for projects led by Jed McCaleb, the co-founder of both Ripple and Stellar. Hill writes: Advertisement "Ripple, and Jed's new stellar are bad for the ecosystem we are building, and it does our company damage to have investors who are backing two horses in the same race." You Might Also Like Sat, 01/31/2026 - 10:00 Ripple CTO Emeritus Breaks Silence on XRP and XLM in Epstein Files By Dan Burgin Hill goes on to request that the investors "reduce or take your allocation away," offering to explain the issues further in a call. Advertisement He meant that because he felt Ripple and Stellar were bad for the ecosystem, anyone who supported either XRP or XLM was an opponent/enemy. The ultimatum: "pick a horse" According to Leonidas Hadjiloizou, Austin Hill was using "allocation" as leverage. In the venture capital world, being allowed to invest in a promising company (like Blockstream) is often considered a privilege. Hill threatened to "reduce or take... allocation away" from Epstein and Ito regarding their investment in Blockstream. He was essentially telling them they could not invest in Blockstream if they continued to support Ripple or Stellar. He forced them to choose one side of the "race". "The sad part is, we really are all in this together, and this kind of attitude hurts everyone in the space," Schwartz said in a recent social media post. #Ripple News