Kalam Crypto #164: 🌍Bitcoin White Paper Turns 17

This week, the financial world accelerated its digital shift: The Bitcoin White Paper marked its 17th anniversary.

03 Nov, 2025

CoinMENA Team

Author

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." - R. Buckminster Fuller

Ahlan wa sahlan! Welcome to the latest edition of Kalam Crypto, your trusted source for crisp, insightful updates on everything crypto globally and the MENA region.

This week, the financial world accelerated its digital shift: The Bitcoin White Paper marked its 17th anniversary. Globally, the ECB set a 2029 target for the Digital Euro, while major corporations like Citi and Western Union escalated the stablecoin race. On the regulatory front, the UAE and Malaysia are advancing frameworks that could shape the next era of tokenized finance.

All that and more, so let’s dive in!

Global News 🌍

🎂 Bitcoin White Paper Turns 17

The Bitcoin White Paper, "A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," recently celebrated its 17th anniversary. Published by Satoshi Nakamoto on October 31, 2008, in the wake of the global financial crisis, the document introduced the concept of a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency. In just 17 years, Bitcoin has grown from a niche experiment into a multi-trillion-dollar $2 trillion global asset, fundamentally changing the global financial landscape.

It’s amazing to see how an idea scribbled in a PDF has now sparked an entire financial revolution. Bitcoin isn’t just better money; it’s a mindset.

🇺🇸 Trump on Pardoning CZ

President Donald Trump defended pardoning Binance founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, saying he did not know him personally. He dismissed the case as a "Biden witch hunt," stating the move was to "make crypto great for America" and prevent over-regulation from "killing" the industry.

This move signals that crypto isn’t going away. Regulatory battles may continue, but the industry is pushing for clarity and fast.

💶 ECB Targets 2029 for Digital Euro

Jurisdictions that have launched a CBDC. Source: The Atlantic Council

The European Central Bank (ECB) is advancing its plans for a Digital Euro, officially moving to the next phase of the project. The bank is targeting a potential launch date in 2029, conditional on EU lawmakers passing the necessary legal framework, which could occur by May 2026. This Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is intended to ensure all Europeans have access to a resilient, universally accepted digital means of payment.

🇲🇾 Malaysia Rolls Out Tokenization Plan

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) unveiled a three-year tokenization plan focused on real-world assets. The program aims to enhance SME financing, automate Islamic finance, and enable 24/7 cross-border payments, positioning Malaysia as a leader in digital finance innovation.

🇦🇪 Local News

Abu Dhabi: Tokenization Goes Live

The UAE continues leading the global tokenization charge. At the Agentic Abu Dhabi summit, financial leaders highlighted regulatory clarity, execution focus, and AI-powered real-time asset monitoring as critical enablers for a new era of regulated, tokenized finance.

🏛️ US Crypto Market Structure Bill Progress

Despite a government shutdown, US lawmakers are reportedly pushing hard to pass a comprehensive crypto market structure bill before year-end. This key legislation, which follows the House-passed CLARITY Act, aims to establish clear federal rules for the digital asset space and clarify the jurisdiction between the SEC and CFTC. Progress is strong, with indications that Congress has already reached a consensus on about 90% of the bill's issues.

Keep an eye on 👀

🏦 Corporate Stablecoin Race Heats Up

The corporate race to build stablecoin infrastructure is accelerating. Citigroup is expanding its on-chain payment capabilities, driven by projections that the stablecoin market could hit $4 trillion by 2030. Meanwhile, global remittance giant Western Union is embracing digital assets by selecting the Solana blockchain to develop a new settlement network that will feature its own USD Payment Token (USDPT), expected to launch in 2026.

Did you know? Stablecoins have quickly surpassed $300 billion in circulating value, marking a new all-time high as of early Q4 2025.

CoinMENA News 🗞️

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