Bitcoin’s white paper marked its 18th anniversary on Oct. 31, renewing attention on Satoshi Nakamoto’s proposal for electronic payments without trusted intermediaries. Published through a cryptography mailing list on Oct. 31, 2008, the nine-page document proposed preventing double-spending through public transaction broadcasts, proof-of-work and a chain secured by participants with the greatest accumulated computing power. Its anniversary was highlighted days after Binance said an Oct. 29 breach affected $6.3 billion in assets and pledged to cover losses using its Secure Asset Fund for Users and company resources. The incident has sharpened debate over self-custody and third-party custody, with both carrying distinct risks for protecting private keys. Binance said it had set aside more than $6.34 billion, including over $5 billion in corresponding token assets, and was purchasing the remainder through market and over-the-counter channels. The paper emerged during the 2008 financial crisis and addressed transaction reversals, fraud, dispute mediation and the costs of relying on financial institutions, but it did not propose rules for exchanges or guarantees for customer deposits.