Missing Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Is Recovered in Lugano

2 weeks ago

The celebrated Satoshi Nakamoto statue, an ingenious line-of-sight illusion envisioned by Italian creator Valentina Picozzi, that was reported missing connected Sunday was recovered from a adjacent lake, Satoshigallery, the creator task tally by Picozzi, said successful a station connected X.

The assemblage reported the statue missing connected Aug. 3 with a photograph showing lone bare crushed wherever the layers of disappearing stripes that slice into codification had stood since precocious 2024. The statue representing the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin was unveiled connected Oct. 25, 2024 astatine Plan B’s Bitcoin forum arsenic Swiss‑Tether and Lugano raced to marque the metropolis a planetary bitcoin (BTC) hub.

The theft was first reported by X idiosyncratic @Grittoshi, who suspected it had been thrown successful a water beside the sculpture. Satoshigallery offered a reward of 0.1 BTC to anyone who could assistance find the statue.

“We are offering 0.1 btc to whoever volition assistance america recovering the Statue of Satoshi Nakamoto that was stolen yesterday successful Lugano,” the X station said. “You tin bargain our awesome but you volition ne'er beryllium capable to bargain our souls. We are each successful this unneurotic and committed to spot the statue successful 21 places circular the world.”

Grittoshi had suggested the theft was an enactment of vandalism resulting from celebrations related to Swiss National day, which falls connected Aug. 1.

“There are cameras everyplace successful the metropolis truthful one assume, they conscionable threw it wrong the water beside, earlier going home. No way, they could person carried it unnoticed successful the city.” Grittoshi wrote soon earlier the statue was so recovered successful the lake.

What harm the statue has taken hasn’t yet been determined.

Picozzi shared images connected societal media of the statue being recovered, and suggested Kintsugi-style repairs whitethorn beryllium successful order. Kintsugi is the Japanese creation of repairing breached items with circumstantial coating mixed with powered precious metals specified arsenic gold, metallic oregon platinum.

A petition asking the metropolis of Lugano for “logistical and information support” to reconstruct the statue has been launched. Picozzi has offered to bash things astatine her ain expense, the petition said.

The theft occurred conscionable implicit a week aft Satoshi Gallery unveiled its 3rd Satoshi Nakamoto statue successful Tokyo, Japan.

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