U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Praises Bitcoin’s Resilience on White Paper Anniversary

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent marked the 17th anniversary of the Bitcoin white paper on October 31 with a post on X celebrating the network’s resilience and subtly criticizing Senate Democrats. Bessent remarked that Bitcoin “never shuts down,” suggesting that lawmakers “could learn something from that,” turning his praise into both a policy statement and a political jab.

The date holds special significance in the crypto world — it marks the release of Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 white paper outlining Bitcoin as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. Since its launch in 2009, the Bitcoin network has operated without interruption, a point enthusiasts highlight each year to emphasize its decentralized, always-on nature.

Bessent’s comments continue a series of crypto-friendly statements from the Treasury. In July, after President Trump signed the GENIUS Act, he hailed stablecoins as “a revolution in digital finance,” emphasizing their potential to strengthen the U.S. dollar’s global dominance. A month later, he proposed a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve,” suggesting that seized bitcoins could be repurposed for national holdings without requiring new budget allocations.

His latest post sparked mixed reactions in the crypto community. Veteran developer Luke Dashjr claimed Bitcoin is “weaker than ever,” referencing internal debates over recent Core updates. Researcher Eric Wall responded with sarcasm about Bitcoin’s supposed demise, while investors like Simon Dixon and Gabor Gurbacs interpreted Bessent’s message as support for integrating Bitcoin into federal policy.

The post’s timing added political weight, coinciding with a federal government shutdown that began October 1, leaving nearly 900,000 employees furloughed. To many, Bessent’s praise of Bitcoin’s uptime served as a symbolic critique of Washington’s gridlock — and a sign that digital assets will remain central to the Treasury’s economic narrative.