The crypto community celebrated on Tuesday the 15th anniversary of the Bitcoin whitepaper, which marked the first functional peer-to-peer electronic money in the world.
Among its celebrants was Gary Gensler, the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), known for his strict enforcement actions against the crypto industry.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Gensler mentioned Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous author behind the Bitcoin whitepaper, who remains a mystery to this day.
– Happy 15th anniversary of Satoshi’s famous whitepaper that started crypto – he wrote.
Despite the kind words for Satoshi, Gensler remained firm with modern crypto companies.
– All crypto companies that defraud investors should be treated in accordance with securities laws – he said.
Historically, Gensler has favored Bitcoin over other cryptocurrencies in terms of regulation, recognizing it as a distinct commodity within the asset class.
In contrast, he characterized the ‘vast majority’ of other cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins, as potential unregistered securities and initiated multiple lawsuits against their issuers and exchanges that list them.
He has also hesitated to approve a spot Bitcoin ETF, which analysts believe would help catapult the price of Bitcoin if approved.
In responses to his tweet, Gensler attracted many who were frustrated with his behavior.
– Honestly, I think this is an extremely unprofessional tweet. It is clear that there is currently a great sensitivity around Bitcoin, and I simply cannot believe that the SEC Chairman, the very body that makes decisions, tweets such garbage on social media – commented one user on Twitter.
