>but the bitcoin paper has little to do with the EVM and smart contracts except as a foundational idea

I am not claiming the bitcoin whitepaper has anything to do with EVM, but it explains why a trustless, digital currency is needed and how it can be implemented. It predates real cryptocurrencies, so it can read easier without references to cryptocurrencies that exist today. The author has demonstrated incredible ignorance of why things like EVM exist in the first place.

>Trustless doesn’t make it more valuable than the trusted systems

Author doesn't understand why people think it could be/is valuable either.