Swiss Authorities Recover Vandalized Bitcoin Artwork

In a universe dominated by digital abstraction, the sudden disappearance of the statue of Satoshi Nakamoto in Lugano resonates as a symbolic shock. Erected during the Plan B Forum in homage to the decentralized spirit of bitcoin, the work was torn down, vandalized, then recovered in pieces by the lakeside. This artistic manifesto, having become a target, crystallizes the tensions around the crypto imagination. A reward in bitcoin was promised, a sign that the case goes beyond simple vandalism: it calls into question the integrity of symbols in a faceless culture.

A shocking disappearance in the heart of Lugano

While Satoshi Nakamoto has become the 11^th richest person in the world thanks to bitcoin, his statue, unveiled in October 2024 in Lugano, did not survive a year without incident. Installed as part of the Plan B Forum, the work signed by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi represented a faceless silhouette bent over a computer, designed to symbolize the anonymity of the bitcoin creator.

On Saturday, August 3, the statue was removed from its base in Ciani Park and reported stolen. The information was confirmed by the artistic collective Satoshigallery on the social network X : “where is Satoshi? You can steal our symbol, but you will never be able to steal our souls”.

Where is Satoshi?

We are offering 0.1 btc to whoever will help us recovering the Statue of Satoshi Nakamoto that was stolen yesterday in Lugano.

You can steal our symbol but you will never be able to steal our souls.

Thank you all for the nice messages.

We are all in this… https://t.co/cAGCqg4CuP pic.twitter.com/iGrBOdVYhe

— Satoshigallery (@satoshigallery) August 3, 2025

In response to this act, the collective offered a reward of 0.1 BTC, equivalent to more than 11,000 dollars, to anyone who could provide useful information for the recovery of the sculpture.

The next day, Lugano municipal services found the statue in several pieces, thrown on the shore and in the lake waters. Several elements help better understand the sequence of the incident :

• The statue was only welded by two fixation points at the feet, which facilitated its removal ;

• No equipment was stolen, excluding financial motivation for the moment ;

• The work was damaged but not hidden, found quickly by public services ;

• The incident took place during the Swiss National Day weekend (August 1^st), reinforcing the thesis of an impulsive act, potentially committed by people in a state of intoxication, as suggested Gritto.

This episode shocked a community attached to its rare physical representations.

A symbolic attack on the spirit of bitcoin

Beyond the initial shock, the recovery of the statue of Satoshi Nakamoto did not dissipate the emotion in the crypto community. The work, emblematic of the overall project by Satoshigallery aiming to install similar statues in 21 cities around the world, fits into an artistic and activist approach.

“Lugano quickly establishes itself as a major hub for digital innovation”, declared Mayor Michele Foletti during the inauguration, highlighting how much the statue embodied the local commitment to breakthrough technologies. The reaction of the CEO of the stablecoin company Tether, Paolo Ardoino, was sober but eloquent: a simple heart posted on X, as a sign of support.

https://twitter.com/paoloardoino/status/1952023483153584367

The desire to destroy the physical object did not diminish the symbolism it carries. On the contrary, the act of vandalism seems to have strengthened the community’s unity. The incident reminds that in the crypto universe, values and ideas prevail over material representations.

The parallel with the Budapest statue, installed in 2021 with a mirror-face to reflect each visitor, reinforces this idea : “we are all Satoshi”. A statue can be broken, but an idea is not so easily shattered.

As crypto culture gains visibility, it becomes more exposed to misunderstandings, acts of rejection or desecration. This vandalism may be an isolated warning, but it reminds us of how crucial education, cultural dialogue, and symbolic anchoring remain. At a time when bitcoin is becoming an institutional asset, its symbols still have to prove themselves in the public space.