On October 25, 2024, a statue of Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, was unveiled in Lugano, Switzerland, as part of a joint initiative by Plan ₿ Lugano and Tether.
The artwork, created by artist Valentina Picozzi, quickly became a symbol of the city’s growing embrace of cryptocurrency. However, just days after its unveiling, the statue was stolen, sparking outrage and speculation.
Picozzi, devastated by the theft, announced a reward of 0.1 BTC for information leading to the apprehension of the culprit. In a defiant statement, she declared, “You can steal our symbol, but you will never steal our souls,” reflecting the resilience of the crypto community.
Local authorities and residents suspected the statue was discarded in nearby Lake Lugano, given the area’s extensive surveillance coverage. These suspicions were confirmed when divers recovered the statue, which had been dismantled into pieces but sustained minimal damage.
Also read:
- Uber Introduces Gender Preference Option to Enhance Safety and Comfort
- AI is Killing the Internet and Traffic: Can Anything Save It? A New Business Model is Needed to Survive the AI Era
- Learn Physics: Jensen Huang’s Vision for the Next Wave of AI
- 11 Reasons You Need to Hire a Business Performance Specialist
The incident has drawn global attention, highlighting both the cultural significance of the statue and the challenges of protecting public art. Investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrator, with Picozzi’s reward still on offer.
*Update*: The disassembled Satoshi Nakamoto statue has been recovered from Lake Lugano, with minimal damage reported.
