SEC chair acknowledges Bitcoin’s anniversary amid ongoing enforcement

Gary Gensler, chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), recently acknowledged Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO:BTC) upcoming 16th anniversary during an interview with Bloomberg. 

Despite celebrating the milestone, Gensler indicated that the SEC has no plans to change its “regulation by enforcement” approach to digital assets. 

He emphasized the agency's commitment to protecting investors and promoting market stability, stating, “We have benefited for nine decades from robust laws from Congress and rules from various agencies [...] to help promote the markets — to protect investors, to promote capital formation and the markets in the middle, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.” 

The interview came shortly after the SEC’s Division of Examinations highlighted crypto assets as a priority for 2025. 

Gensler’s strategy has faced criticism from industry leaders, who question the SEC’s aggressive enforcement actions. 

When asked how he would respond if former President Donald Trump won re-election in 2024 and carried out his pledge to fire Gensler “on day one,” the SEC chair declined to comment. 

Trump’s candidacy has already introduced uncertainty, particularly due to his launch of the World Liberty Financial project. 

Gensler’s remarks coincide with Bitcoin’s upcoming 16th anniversary, marking the release of its white paper by its pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, on October 31, 2008. 

This milestone commemorates the first-ever Bitcoin transaction, which occurred a few months later, on January 3, 2009, a date recognized in the crypto community as Genesis Block Day. 

Although some speculate that cryptographer Peter Todd might be Satoshi, no conclusive evidence has emerged to confirm this.

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price was $67,025.73.