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Bitcoin Turns 15 amidst a Surge in Value and ETF Buzz

Published

2 years ago

on

Bitcoin Turns 15 amidst a Surge in Value and ETF Buzz

Exactly
fifteen years ago, an anonymous figure named Satoshi Nakamoto mined the Bitcoin
genesis block, containing the first 50 BTC ever created. The anonymous mastermind
behind the cryptocurrency, could not have anticipated the experiment’s evolution
into a global phenomenon and a trillion-dollar asset class.

Bitcoin’s
15th anniversary occurs at a critial time, with its price at its highest level
since April 2022. Also, the industry is eagerly awaiting the approval of the
first-ever Wall Street ETF tracking the spot price of BTC. On this special day,
we wish Bitcoin many more years of success!

Bitcoin,
the world’s first and most popular cryptocurrency, has not one but two
important dates that are celebrated by its enthusiasts worldwide. While there
is some debate around which date marks Bitcoin ‘s true birthday, 3 January and 31
October both represent major milestones in the technology’s history.

3 January marks the creation of the Bitcoin genesis block in 2009, the first block ever
mined on the Bitcoin blockchain by the pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
This date represents the official launch of the Bitcoin network and is thus
referred as Bitcoin’s birthday.

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Bitcoin Genesis Block. Source: Blockchain.com

31 October, on the other hand, memorializes the publication of the seminal Bitcoin
whitepaper in 2008. Authored by Nakamoto, this document outlined the conceptual
design for Bitcoin and its promises as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.
As such, 31 October marks the revelation of Bitcoin to the world, before any
code had been written.

While
3 January celebrates the actual genesis of the technology, October 31st
honors its conceptual beginnings. Together, they bookmark the short but dynamic
history of Bitcoin. As of January 2024, nearly 1 million Bitcoin blocks have
been mined and the network hash rate exceeds 500 exahashes per second, making
it incredibly secure.

Details of the Genesis Block. Source: Blockchain.com

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There are
close to 34,000 Bitcoin ATMs installed globally and Bitcoin is accepted by
major companies like Microsoft, AT&T and Home Depot. Others, like MicroStrategy
and Tesla have added Bitcoin to their balance sheets. El Salvador became the
first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021.

Moreover,
the 15th birthday could be pivotal as Bitcoin soon faces two very important
events.

Bitcoin Halving, Spot BTC
ETF Approval and $80K Forecast

This week,
Bitcoin surpassed the $45,000 mark for the first time in nearly two years,
largely due to weekend rumors that the US Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) might approve the first-ever spot Bitcoin ETF on Wall Street. Experts
believe that this could trigger a new wave of mass institutional adoption.

“We believe there is still room for the rally to extend once the ETFs are
finally approved. As much as the event has been priced in, given how much hangs
in the balance, there is definitely some money sitting on the side-lines,
waiting for an actual confirmation,” Joel
Kruger, the Market Strategist at LMAX Group, commented.

Moreover,
in the coming months, Bitcoin will experience a “halving ” event, cutting
the reward for mining new blocks by half. Historically, this has led to
significant increases in the cryptocurrency’s value.

Advertisement

Based on
these two factors, analysts at AllianceBernstein predict that Bitcoin’s price
will reach new record levels in 2024, potentially testing the $80,000 mark.
Given that its price increased by over 150% in 2023, this prediction does not
seem far-fetched.

“Bitcoin
ETF flows build-up could be gradual, but the applicants will be fighting hard
to get a lead in this massive asset accumulation game, tuning up advertising
and Bitcoin branding leading to a snowball effect,” the analysts noted.

Will the
first bitcoin ETF be approved by the SEC on Bitcoin’s birthday? Cryptocurrency
enthusiasts would certainly wish for it.

Exactly
fifteen years ago, an anonymous figure named Satoshi Nakamoto mined the Bitcoin
genesis block, containing the first 50 BTC ever created. The anonymous mastermind
behind the cryptocurrency, could not have anticipated the experiment’s evolution
into a global phenomenon and a trillion-dollar asset class.

Bitcoin’s
15th anniversary occurs at a critial time, with its price at its highest level
since April 2022. Also, the industry is eagerly awaiting the approval of the
first-ever Wall Street ETF tracking the spot price of BTC. On this special day,
we wish Bitcoin many more years of success!

Advertisement

Bitcoin,
the world’s first and most popular cryptocurrency, has not one but two
important dates that are celebrated by its enthusiasts worldwide. While there
is some debate around which date marks Bitcoin ‘s true birthday, 3 January and 31
October both represent major milestones in the technology’s history.

3 January marks the creation of the Bitcoin genesis block in 2009, the first block ever
mined on the Bitcoin blockchain by the pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
This date represents the official launch of the Bitcoin network and is thus
referred as Bitcoin’s birthday.

Bitcoin Genesis Block. Source: Blockchain.com

Advertisement

31 October, on the other hand, memorializes the publication of the seminal Bitcoin
whitepaper in 2008. Authored by Nakamoto, this document outlined the conceptual
design for Bitcoin and its promises as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.
As such, 31 October marks the revelation of Bitcoin to the world, before any
code had been written.

While
3 January celebrates the actual genesis of the technology, October 31st
honors its conceptual beginnings. Together, they bookmark the short but dynamic
history of Bitcoin. As of January 2024, nearly 1 million Bitcoin blocks have
been mined and the network hash rate exceeds 500 exahashes per second, making
it incredibly secure.

Details of the Genesis Block. Source: Blockchain.com

There are
close to 34,000 Bitcoin ATMs installed globally and Bitcoin is accepted by
major companies like Microsoft, AT&T and Home Depot. Others, like MicroStrategy
and Tesla have added Bitcoin to their balance sheets. El Salvador became the
first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021.

Moreover,
the 15th birthday could be pivotal as Bitcoin soon faces two very important
events.

Advertisement

Bitcoin Halving, Spot BTC
ETF Approval and $80K Forecast

This week,
Bitcoin surpassed the $45,000 mark for the first time in nearly two years,
largely due to weekend rumors that the US Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) might approve the first-ever spot Bitcoin ETF on Wall Street. Experts
believe that this could trigger a new wave of mass institutional adoption.

“We believe there is still room for the rally to extend once the ETFs are
finally approved. As much as the event has been priced in, given how much hangs
in the balance, there is definitely some money sitting on the side-lines,
waiting for an actual confirmation,” Joel
Kruger, the Market Strategist at LMAX Group, commented.

Moreover,
in the coming months, Bitcoin will experience a “halving ” event, cutting
the reward for mining new blocks by half. Historically, this has led to
significant increases in the cryptocurrency’s value.

Based on
these two factors, analysts at AllianceBernstein predict that Bitcoin’s price
will reach new record levels in 2024, potentially testing the $80,000 mark.
Given that its price increased by over 150% in 2023, this prediction does not
seem far-fetched.

“Bitcoin
ETF flows build-up could be gradual, but the applicants will be fighting hard
to get a lead in this massive asset accumulation game, tuning up advertising
and Bitcoin branding leading to a snowball effect,” the analysts noted.

Advertisement

Will the
first bitcoin ETF be approved by the SEC on Bitcoin’s birthday? Cryptocurrency
enthusiasts would certainly wish for it.

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Crypto

Crypto Crime Wave Fueled by Chinese-Language Money Laundering | PYMNTS.com

Published

10 hours ago

on

January 27, 2026

By

Crypto Crime Wave Fueled by Chinese-Language Money Laundering | PYMNTS.com

Cryptocurrency laundering was an $82 billion problem last year, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday (Jan. 27), citing data from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.

Chinese-language money laundering networks made up $16.1 billion of that total as they play an increasing role in crypto crime, the report said.

“These are groups that are growing exponentially,” Andrew Fierman, head of national security intelligence at Chainalysis, told Bloomberg, per the report. “We’re talking about growth of over 7,300 times faster than other illicit flows.”

Although China has outlawed crypto transactions, illegal activity continues as the government chiefly focuses on behavior that threatens capital controls or financial stability, according to the report.

The networks “have really embraced cryptocurrencies,” said Kathryn Westmore, a senior associate fellow at the Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI, per the report, adding that crypto provides “a way to launder the proceeds of cash-generating criminal activities, like drugs or fraud.”

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The news followed a warning from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in August, which said Chinese money laundering networks are now among the most significant threats to the American financial system, helping fuel the operations of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels.

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“The networks have become effective partners because they can move cash quickly, absorb losses and leverage demand from Chinese nationals seeking to bypass Beijing’s strict currency controls,” PYMNTS reported Aug. 29. “By pairing cartel dollars with Chinese demand for U.S. currency, these networks have created what FinCEN called a ‘mutualistic relationship’ that strengthens both sides.”

Meanwhile, Eric Jardine, head of research at Chainalysis, discussed last year’s record-setting levels of crypto crime with PYMNTS in an interview published Monday (Jan. 26). Around $154 billion flowed to illicit addresses, the most ever recorded, and there was a 160% increase in illicit volumes.

“But treating that number as evidence of runaway criminal adoption may miss the more consequential story,” PYMNTS wrote. “What changed in 2025 was not merely volume, but the identity of the actors, the scale at which they operated, and the implications this has for banks, regulators, and the future architecture of financial blockchain compliance.”

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The true inflection came from “a shift in who’s doing what,” Jardine said, adding that in 2025, nation states, most notably Russia, began taking part “in earnest in the crypto ecosystem,” chiefly through sanctions evasion.

Unlike earlier state-linked activity, like North Korea’s hacking campaigns, this was not marginal behavior at the edges of the system, but “industrial-scale financial activity conducted in plain sight,” PYMNTS wrote.

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Crypto

Fixing BTC’s Quantum Issue Tops All Bitcoin Development Priorities, Says Willy Woo

Published

22 hours ago

on

January 27, 2026

By

Fixing BTC’s Quantum Issue Tops All Bitcoin Development Priorities, Says Willy Woo
Quantum risk is emerging as a decisive hurdle for bitcoin’s institutional future as sovereign investors weigh long-term resilience, pushing gold and BTC into sharper focus amid debt cycles, macro uncertainty, and geopolitical realignment, according to on-chain analyst Willy Woo.
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Crypto

Strategy buys even more Bitcoin—$264 million of it—even as Bitcoin slumps to $87,000. | Fortune

Published

1 day ago

on

January 26, 2026

By

Strategy buys even more Bitcoin—4 million of it—even as Bitcoin slumps to ,000. | Fortune

Despite the current downturn for crypto, Strategy added even more Bitcoin to its collection. The company bought more than 2,900 Bitcoin last week, bringing its total to over 712,000, according to an X post by cofounder Michael Saylor. The move follows a more than $2 billion purchase earlier this month. 

Strategy is the first and biggest digital asset treasury, or a type of company that acquires and holds on to large amounts of crypto. Saylor’s company began investing in Bitcoin in 2020 and now holds more than 3% of the total supply. This business model has confronted major challenges in the past few months, as the largest cryptocurrency has plummeted since its all-time high in October. Bitcoin is worth about $87,000, down about 31% since then, according to Binance. 

One analyst views Saylor’s purchase as expected, considering the company’s business strategy, which is to continually amass Bitcoin on the theory it will appreciate in the long term, and to time purchases to coincide with market dips.

“It’s not surprising for me to see that they’re really aggressively continuing to purchase [Bitcoin]”, said Nathan Schmidt, an analyst at CFRA Research. “It is certainly the playbook for them these days.” 

Bitcoin’s fall from its all-time high of about $126,000 in October was caused in part by a flash crash in the fall, where crypto traders lost more than $19 billion in their positions. Misfortunes for digital assets have only continued this calendar year. The sector dipped as tensions mounted between the U.S. and Europe over Greenland. In addition, major regulatory legislation, referred to as the Clarity Act, has stalled as major figures in the crypto industry spar over its details. 

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The major cryptocurrency isn’t the only one to suffer losses, as altcoins are down as well. Ethereum is down 30% in the last three months to its current price of $2,899, and Solana is down more than 38% to its price of about $124, according to Binance.

Crypto’s dip has led to disastrous returns for digital asset treasuries like Strategy. Saylor’s company stock is down about 64% since July to its current price of about $160. 

Schmidt, the analyst from CFRA Research, argues that the biggest risk to Strategy is long-term declines in the value of Bitcoin. He says that the company could survive such a dip in the next few years because of its liquidity, but that over time the company would be in trouble. 

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.
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