On the 15th anniversary of the release of the Bitcoin white paper, Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) Joël Lightbound thanked Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, in the Canadian parliament. During his speech, Lightbound disclosed that he owns Bitcoin himself and advocates for people to study and understand the cryptocurrency, emphasizing its empowerment potential for the underbanked and those in oppressive regimes.


Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) Joël Lightbound commemorated the 15th anniversary of the release of the Bitcoin white paper by thanking Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, in the Canadian parliament. In his speech, Lightbound shared that he personally owns Bitcoin but refrains from advocating for others to buy it. Instead, he encourages people to study and understand Bitcoin's principles and potential.


Lightbound highlighted Bitcoin's role as a tool to empower the underbanked and those living under oppressive regimes. He acknowledged its ability to protect against currency debasement, especially in times of financial crisis. The MP expressed gratitude to Satoshi Nakamoto, whoever they may be, for contributing to the cryptocurrency's progressive ideals.


During his speech, Lightbound quoted two prominent figures. The first quote was from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, a well-known advocate for Bitcoin. The second quote was attributed to Gary Gensler, the current chair of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It's worth noting that Gensler's quote is from 2019, a period before he became the SEC chair. In this quote, Gensler expressed the potential of Bitcoin to reduce verification and networking costs, lower economic rents, and promote economic inclusion. He suggested that the cryptocurrency had the capacity to drive positive change in the financial landscape.


Notably, on the 15th anniversary of the Bitcoin white paper, Gensler tweeted a commemoration message. However, he included a compliance message, urging crypto companies to comply with securities laws and refrain from deceiving investors.


Before his appointment as SEC chair, the crypto community had high hopes for Gensler due to his background in crypto teaching. However, his tenure as SEC chief has been marked by controversies and disappointments for the crypto community.


(PRASHANT JHA, COINTELEGRAPH, 2023)