An illustration of a dove holding the letter ‘B’ (symbolizing billions of dollars) in its beak and its detached wings nearby

Illustration: Satoshi Kambayashi

Nov 18th 2025|New York|5 min read

ON JANUARY 3rd it will have been 17 years since Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous founder of bitcoin, first unveiled the cryptocurrency. The most popular digital coin has cemented itself in the global financial order faster than any other asset. In recent years the crypto industry has gone from an object of mockery in mainstream finance and the target of outright hostility from regulators to being broadly accepted, even encouraged. Banks and asset managers are launching products and the latest cast of American regulators are crypto enthusiasts. In October bitcoin’s market value peaked at $2.5trn.

Signage for Mizuho Bank Ltd., a unit of Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (MHFG), at one of the bank's branches in Tokyo, Japan.

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