The Bitcoin white paper reached its 18th anniversary on 31 October 2026, eighteen years after it was published on 31 October 2008. The anniversary marks the publication of the paper, not the launch of the network itself. At the same time, the market's structure has changed beyond recognition from its early years: TokenPost reports that US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds held about 1.28 million bitcoin as of 31 October, equal to about 6.36% of circulating supply, with combined net assets of about $102.97 billion at the 1 November morning snapshot. That holdings figure rests on TokenPost's reporting and is attributed as such here.

On price, the picture is one of a sharp retreat from the highs. At 7:18 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday 1 November, bitcoin traded near $77,300, with a market value near $1.55 trillion, according to TokenPost. KuCoin's 1 November recap put bitcoin at $77,717, up 0.75% on the day, with ether at $2,265 and a crypto fear-and-greed reading of 34, in fear territory. Bitcoin's record intraday price was $126,223 on 6 October 2025, so the Sunday price sits about 39% below that record, after rebounding from a six-week low near $76,100 following the 29 October Binance breach.

Who holds what

BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust held about $66 billion in assets at the same snapshot, TokenPost reports, while Strategy held 848,517 bitcoin as of 25 October. US spot Bitcoin ETFs began trading in January 2024, and bitcoin's maximum supply is 21 million, with the 20 millionth coin mined on 9 March 2026.

What the anniversary means

Eighteen years on, the question around bitcoin is no longer whether institutions will hold it, but how much of it they hold through regulated vehicles, and at what price. This article reports market movements and holdings only and is not financial advice.