Adam Back and Blockstream Deny Financial Ties After DOJ Epstein Document Release

U.S. Department of Justice disclosures released at the end of January included documents that list Adam Back and Blockstream co‑founder Austin Hill among technology and finance figures mentioned in the Epstein files; reporting notes Back’s background as a cypherpunk and creator of Hashcash and Hill’s role as a co‑founder of Zero‑Knowledge Systems ^[1].

Reporting says the disclosures included email correspondence from 2014 involving Jeffrey Epstein and the Blockstream co‑founders, and that Blockstream CEO Adam Back issued a formal statement denying any direct or indirect financial relationship between Blockstream and Epstein following the release ^[3][1].

Multiple outlets covering the disclosures note Back’s denial and describe a degree of public backlash and distancing within the community, while emphasizing the company’s stated position that no financial ties exist between Blockstream and Epstein as asserted by Back ^[3][5][4].

The Department of Justice continues to release Epstein‑related documents, and reporters say scrutiny of figures named in the files is likely to continue as additional material is published ^[1][2].