As someone who is exploring crypto and choosing BTC as a reserve asset, I wish to share my insights about this market for newcomers just stepping into it like I did. And there’s nothing better than starting with the familiar name - Bitcoin.
In 2008, the global financial crisis shook the world. Banks collapsed one after another like a chain of dominoes. Trust in the traditional financial system was severely shaken. And in that chaos, a strange name appeared in an email sent to a group of cypherpunks: Satoshi Nakamoto.
On October 31, 2008, Satoshi published the whitepaper titled:
“Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” – A currency system that does not require banks, intermediaries, is completely peer-to-peer and decentralized.
Satoshi did not introduce a company. No fundraising. No flashy roadmap. The only thing he (or they?, still controversial) brought was a revolutionary idea – a financial system where each person can control their own assets, without relying on banks or governments.
Instead of trusting people, Bitcoin places trust in source code and mathematics.
Genesis Block – The first block carrying a political message
On January 3, 2009, the first Bitcoin block was mined, named the Genesis Block. In it, Satoshi left a small but meaningful message:
“The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks.”
(Translation: “The UK Chancellor is about to announce a second bank bailout.”)
A brief message, but enough for the world to know: Bitcoin is not an accidental invention – it is a rebellion.
No fanfare. No media hype. The first blocks were mined only by a few technology and cryptocurrency enthusiasts. The value of BTC at that time? Nearly zero. But trust had already been sown.
And from that point, a new history began to be written – with lines of code, with perseverance, and with a simple question:
“If we don't need banks, then what do we need to exchange value?
