Bitcoin’s reach has gone far and beyond what people expected when it first came to the forefront more than a decade ago. From being considered as a niche virtual asset that would die out quickly to become one of the largest disruptors of the financial market, Bitcoin has certainly pulled its weight over the past few years.
The cryptocurrency’s mainstream appeal has sparked a global interest that has transcended the standards set by traditional banking institutions. Bitcoin’s popularity has surged so much that an advertisement for it was even spotted in a major Hong Kong daily.
Today, on August 24, citizens of Hong Kong spotted a full advert for Bitcoin in the Apple Daily, a popular daily publication in Hong Kong. The advert carried the message ‘Bitcoin will never ditch you, which was probably a rebuttal to major banks who are mired in controversies. The newspaper also printed out Satoshi Nakamoto’s name underneath the quote which has not provided any other leads as of yet.
The advertisement also came with an excerpt stating:
“Bitcoin is digital money. It is not issued or controlled by any government or corporation. Nobody can stop you from transacting on the network and it cannot be shut down. Bitcoin is available to anyone regardless of their nationality, gender, or beliefs. Bitcoin began with the GENESIS BLOCK during the financial crisis of 2009. No, its time is coming.”
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Despite the size of the ad in the newspaper, it did not inform the users on how and where to procure Bitcoins. The only technical term that was mentioned throughout the ad was related to the genesis block. There were also a few mentions in Cantonese, with a major line saying “Banks, you’re not ditching me today – I’m ditching you.
This was not the first time that Apple Daily has made stirred up so much heat as its CEO Jimmy Lai also played a part in it a few weeks back. On August 10, Lai was arrest by the Hong Kong authorities for allegedly violating the country’s National Security Law. Lai’s arrest led to massive protests by supporters in the streets of Hong Kong, many of them condemning the curbing of the freedom of speech and expression. In the midst of all this controversy, Apple Daily’s stock price shot up by a whopping 1100 percent.