Episode Details

🎥 LinkedIn Live Event

Topic: Bitcoin Reserve – The Hype, Reality & Some Details
Date: Monday, 27th May
Time: 19:00 GST
Hosts:

• Ralph Gebran, Managing Partner at Onramp MENA

• RA George, Host of Blockchain DXB & Bitcoin DXB

Contact info for Ralph Gebran via LinkedIn here https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphgebran/

Bitcoin Advisor & Educator | Helping HNWIs, Institutions & Sovereigns Navigate Custody, Access & Strategy | Managing Partner at Onramp MENA

Subscribe to Ralph's newsletter here - https://the-bitcoin-observer.beehiiv.com/subscribe

• Website - https://www.onrampmena.com/
• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@OnrampMediaOnramp Mena LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/onramp-mena/
• X/Twitter https://x.com/OnrampMENA

• Ralph:

  • Intro to Onramp MENA

  • How Onramp supports institutional and regional clients

• George: What is Bitcoin? How do we define it as a reserve asset?

• Explore Satoshi Nakamoto’s caution in 2010:

  • “The project needs to grow gradually…”

  • Link to Satoshi’s quote

• Simon Dixon: Vision for governments to announce BTC holdings

  • Brilliant explainer: 6 forms of money

• 2013: Invited by Boris Johnson to explain BTC

• Trump’s recent declaration parallels Simon’s idea

• Carlos Maslatón: Advocate for Bitcoin since 2014

• $348M (2014) → ~$47B (2024)

• President Javier Milei – Pro-Bitcoin, wants to shut down Central Bank

• "Bitcoin is a reaction to the scam of central banking"

• First country to legalize Bitcoin mining (2019)

• Over 1,000 licenses issued

• Sanction workarounds?

• BTC became legal tender in 2021

• Jan 2025: Legal tender status revoked under IMF pressure

• Parallels with Pakistan and their IMF loan

• Wakar Zaka: Pushed BTC mining agenda with Imran Khan

• Ricardo Salinas:

  • 10% in 2020 → 60% in 2022

  • “Hardest asset in the world”

  • Banco Azteca accepts BTC

• Trump’s Executive Order (Mar 2025):

  • Creation of Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

  • Link: White House Order

  • No federal BTC purchases yet

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