The Satoshi Nakamoto statue theft: A farce with a 0.1 BTC rewardRecommended Articles

By Wenser ( @wenser 2010 )

When it comes to Lugano, many people may be unfamiliar with this city, but today it has become the focus of attention in the crypto industry because of the “Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Theft Case.”

This Italian-speaking city in southernmost Switzerland has a population of only about 60,000, but it is Switzerland’s third-largest financial center and a hub for conferences, banking, and business. Furthermore, it is a scenic park-like city.

Perhaps due to its unique geographical location and superior environment, last year, at the third Plan B Forum co-organized by stablecoin giant Tether and the city of Lugano, the two parties jointly unveiled a “life-size statue” paying tribute to Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto. This event was also recorded by Tether on its official website as one of the key publicity examples of the year.

Located in Lugano’s Villa Ciani Park, this life-size statue was designed by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi and took 18 months of research and three months to construct. Uniquely, according to a Tether press release, “the statue is designed to play with perception, gradually fading as the viewer’s perspective changes, symbolizing Satoshi Nakamoto’s gradual fading from public view after laying the foundation for a revolutionary financial system.”

At the time, the statue received strong praise from Lugano Mayor Michele Foretti, who said: “Lugano is rapidly becoming a leading center for digital innovation. This statue not only commemorates Satoshi Nakamoto, but also embodies the forward-looking spirit that drives our city’s development. We are honored to host the Plan ₿ Forum and support the development of blockchain technology and digital assets. We are very pleased that this statue commemorating the founder of Bitcoin will be located in Lugano.”

No one expected that a year later, the statue would suddenly disappear.

Image of the Satoshi Nakamoto statue in Lugano

The Lugano Satoshi statue theft: A farce with a 0.1 BTC reward

Around 2:00 AM on August 3rd, X platform user @Grittoshi reported that the Satoshi Nakamoto statue in Lugano, Switzerland, appeared to have been stolen. Only the base and a few slightly disorganized pieces of the sculpture material remained. The story was subsequently retweeted by BitcoinNews, quickly attracting the attention of a large number of crypto enthusiasts.

Poor Satoshi Nakamoto, only two legs are left at the scene

After the theft, Satoshi Gallery, the project manager for the Satoshi Nakamoto statue, immediately posted on the X platform that it would provide 0.1 BTC to anyone who helps recover the stolen Satoshi Nakamoto statue . Furthermore, the organization strongly warned the thieves: “You can steal our symbol, but you can never steal our soul.”

In addition, the Satoshigallery team also stated that they will work together to place the statue in 21 locations around the world (corresponding to the total supply of Bitcoin is 21 million).

Later, X platform user @Grittoshi, who initially discovered the Satoshi Nakamoto statue was “stolen,” appeared in the comment section and posted : “That’s the photo I posted. Based on Occam’s razor theory, my opinion is as follows: I was in the park on the evening of August 1st, and it was still there. That day was Swiss National Day. Many young people were drunk and partying in the open-air cafe next to the statue. On their way home, they (probably) just “played” with the statue (you can see in my photo that the statue was only welded in two places, but it still remains). There are cameras everywhere in the city, so I speculate that they threw it into the nearby lake before going home. Impossible, they couldn’t have carried it around the city without being noticed. So my opinion: it’s in the lake next to its original location. “

In the end, the development of things also verified his guess –

The Satoshi Nakamoto statue was salvaged

Around 8 p.m. on August 3, the Satoshigallery team issued a statement expressing gratitude to the Lugano City Government, stating that the Satoshi Nakamoto statue had been found in the lake next to the park and that the Lugano City Government had assisted in salvaging it.

The Lugano City Plan ₿ forum subsequently announced a petition to restore the Satoshi Nakamoto statue. The artist and his team, Satoshigallery, will cover the cost of recreating the statue, provided it can be safely exhibited – “this symbol of innovation and freedom must be protected.” The petition also emphasized that it hopes the Lugano City Government will provide the necessary logistical support and a suitable and safe new location to ensure the sculpture’s visibility, added value, and preservation, without requesting any financial assistance. The petition has now garnered 238 signatures, still 12 short of its target.

Petition website page

Satoshi Nakamoto Statue: A Symbol of Cryptocurrency and Free Finance

It is worth mentioning that of the 21 Satoshi Nakamoto statues envisioned by the Satoshigallery team, three have been completed:

The first one was completed in October last year, which is the one in Lugano that was “stolen” this time;

The second one was completed in January of this year and unveiled by Tether at the Plan ₿ Forum in El Salvador;

The third one was unveiled in Tokyo, Japan in April this year. The team behind it also issued a message to celebrate at that time , saying: “Image creates culture; culture shapes values; values influence the future; we are all Satoshi Nakamoto!” The words are full of faith.

Satoshi Nakamoto statue in Tokyo, Japan

After the Satoshi Nakamoto statue in Lugano disappeared briefly and was then found again, this dramatic event also caused many people to sigh:

Some say that there are three nodes scattered around the world, and even if one is missing, there are still two left – comparing the Satoshi statue to a node on the chain is profound;

Some say , “First they ignore you; then they laugh at you; then they attack you; and then you win.” The accompanying image shows a statue of Satoshi Nakamoto floating by a lake, implying that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are showing their heroic qualities amidst the turbulent times.

Someone else wrote as early as July: “People pass by Punto Foce in Lugano, but they don’t know everything Satoshi Nakamoto has built to protect their future.” – This portrays Satoshi Nakamoto, who disappeared from the public’s sight, as a behind-the-scenes hero.

Another interesting fact worth sharing: as early as September 2021, the first physical statue of Satoshi Nakamoto was unveiled in Budapest, Hungary. The life-sized bronze statue depicts a person wearing a hoodie with the Bitcoin logo on the left side. Made of gold-plated aluminum, the statue’s face reflects like a mirror. By allowing people to see their own reflection, it aims to convey the message, “We are all Satoshi Nakamoto.” Video footage from those who attended the unveiling indicated a large crowd and a lively atmosphere .

The idea for the statue is understood to have come from cryptocurrency journalist András Jólfi. In an interview with Hungarian Today, he argued that the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator is unimportant. The statue still stands in Graphisoft Park, home to tech giants like SAP, Canon, and Microsoft; the tech park also features a statue of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Furthermore, a virtual Satoshi Nakamoto monument was unveiled in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in 2018.

It has to be said that after disappearing for more than a decade, Satoshi Nakamoto is still a well-deserved spiritual symbol and industry monument of cryptocurrency.

Looking at the various Satoshi Nakamoto statues, I always think of the words written by Marx in his article “Considerations of a Young Man in Choosing a Profession” when he was 17 years old:

“If we have chosen the profession in which we can best serve humanity, then heavy burdens will not weigh us down, because they will be sacrifices made in behalf of all; then we shall experience no petty, limited, selfish joy, but our happiness will belong to millions, our deeds will live on quietly but perpetually at work, and over our ashes will be shed the hot tears of noble people.”

We Are All Satoshi.

This article is sourced from the internet: The Satoshi Nakamoto statue theft: A farce with a 0.1 BTC rewardRecommended Articles

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