Emre Yumlu 
Seventeen years have passed since the release of the original Bitcoin (BTC) white paper, and the milestone has not gone unnoticed. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent marked the occasion with a statement that simultaneously praised the resilience of Bitcoin and took aim at Senate Democrats.
“Bitcoin Never Shuts Down”
As the U.S. government continues to face a partial shutdown, Bessent shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) that quickly caught the attention of the crypto community.
He wrote:
“17 years after the white paper, the Bitcoin network is still operational and more resilient than ever. Bitcoin never shuts down. Senate Democrats could learn something from that.”
With these words, Bessent highlighted Bitcoin’s uninterrupted functionality and subtly criticized the ongoing inefficiency within the political system.
How the Bitcoin Whitepaper Sparked a Financial Revolution
On October 31, 2008, the mysterious figure or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto introduced a new concept to a cryptography mailing list. Titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,” the document laid out a framework for a decentralized digital payment network that could operate without banks or intermediaries.
Just a few months later, in January 2009, the first Bitcoin block — known as the Genesis Block — was mined. What began as a small-scale experiment has since evolved into one of the most significant financial innovations in modern history.
From $0.0007 to Over $100,000: The Unmatched Rise
In Bitcoin’s earliest days, it traded for fractions of a cent. On the New Liberty Standard exchange in 2009, one BTC was valued at just $0.0007639.
Fast forward to 2025, and Bitcoin’s price sits near $109,890, marking an extraordinary 14.6 million percent increase since inception. No other asset in modern finance has ever achieved such an explosive rise in such a short period.
17 Years Later: A Network That Never Sleeps
What started as a niche idea in 2008 has grown into a global financial powerhouse. The Bitcoin network has never experienced a full shutdown — a feat few technologies or institutions can claim.
Bessent’s comment serves as a reminder that Bitcoin’s resilience goes beyond price speculation. Seventeen years after its creation, the protocol continues to operate without central control, without interruption, and without compromise — a testament to its revolutionary design and the enduring vision of its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
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