What did Epstein say about Adam Back?

The New York Times story identifying Blockstream CEO Adam Back as the likely creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, has renewed scrutiny of his past mentions in the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The NYT report argues that Adam, known for his early Hashcash proof-of-work concept cited in Bitcoin's white paper,  matches Satoshi's writing style, forum activity patterns and technical ideas in ways no other candidate has. However, Adam Back has firmly denied he is Nakamoto, saying the evidence is coincidental.

The claims have brought fresh attention to US Department of Justice documents unsealed earlier this year that reference Back around 19 times.

Emails from 2014 show Back and Blockstream co-founder Austin Hill were invited to meet Epstein on St. Thomas near Little Saint James, with plans for an April 17-20 visit. 

One message from Epstein referred to "Andy Back" on the island that weekend.

Epstein invested indirectly in Blockstream's early funding round through a vehicle linked to then-MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito. 

In a later email, Epstein simply replied "I like him" when asked about Back. Blockstream has said it severed any ties shortly afterward due to conflicts of interest, with no ongoing financial connection.

Back addressed the Epstein contacts on X, describing them as brief fundraising interactions via Ito in 2014.