Theft and Recovery of the Lugano Satoshi Nakamoto Sculpture
- A prominent statue of Satoshi Nakamoto, located in Lugano, Switzerland, was stolen and thrown into Lake Lugano over the weekend. Municipal workers successfully recovered the vandalized monument on Monday, May 27, 2024.
- The effigy, an optical illusion appearing to transform into digital code, was torn from its base in Parco Ciani park by unknown individuals and subsequently submerged in the lake.
- Artist collective Satoshigallery, representing creator Valentina Picozzi, awarded a 0.1 BTC ($11,360) reward for its safe return and declared its continued global mission despite the incident.
- The Lugano monument forms part of a global network of physical Satoshi Nakamoto tributes, alongside installations in Budapest, Tokyo, and Slovenia.
Unauthorized removal and vandalism targeting the world’s most famous Bitcoin monument caused an international stir. Swiss municipal workers retrieved pieces of the life-size sculpture on Monday morning following its disappearance. The artwork appeared intentionally destroyed, broken into several fragments recovered both within the lake and along its shores.
Artistic Significance and Stated Aim
The installation, by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi using Satoshigallery as her project vehicle, was created to embody “the power of the unidentifiable creator.” Serving as a symbol for Bitcoin’s decentralized philosophy and Nakamoto’s pseudonymous legacy, the seven-meter structure was unveiled in October 2024 during the Plan B Forum blockchain conference. Estimated costs for production exceeded CHF 100,000.
Immediate Response and Motive Speculation
Discovery of the empty statue base on Saturday, May 25, prompted eventual attribution of responsibility to Satoshigallery. The collective immediately offered a reward of 0.1 BTC for information leading to the statue’s recovery. In a statement reacting to the destruction, Satoshigallery asserted, “You can steal our symbol, but you will never be able to steal our souls,” concurrently announcing future installations at 21 locations worldwide.
Circulating online is the speculation that vandals seeking to exploit celebrations of Swiss National Day might have been intoxicated, though this remains unverified. A Change.org petition subsequently urged municipal authorities for restoration, with organizers offering financial support, assuming the initiative’s success.
Global Context for Nakamoto Memorials
The Lugano recovery marks another event in an ongoing international effort to create physical monuments honoring both Satoshi Nakamoto and the Bitcoin blockchain. Similar artworks exist elsewhere, such as Europe and elsewhere, while Satoshigallery had recently placed a third sculpture in Tokyo.
Despite the remaining mystery surrounding Nakamoto’s true identity and an estimated $125 billion still held in his original wallet, the pursuit of iconic representations continues to engage communities and artists drawn to the digital currency’s pioneering ethos and cryptographic spirit.
