The city of Lugano in Switzerland, known as the 'Bitcoin City', has recently seen the theft of its Bitcoin statue symbolizing 'Satoshi Nakamoto', which has sparked widespread attention from the crypto community and local residents. (Background: In the face of quantum attacks, should Satoshi's 1.09 million Bitcoins be moved?) (Additional background: As AI threatens human existence, we need Satoshi's design philosophy even more.) Earlier today (the 3rd), the Bitcoin statue in Lugano, a public artwork symbolizing Satoshi Nakamoto, was discovered to be stolen. According to a post from the Satoshigallery team in the afternoon, the statue was stolen the day before. To solicit clues for recovering the statue, the team has even offered a reward of 0.1 Bitcoin. This incident quickly spread within the community, becoming a focal point of interest for both the blockchain circle and local residents. Satoshigallery is curated by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi, who began engaging with Bitcoin in 2012 and has gradually evolved into a creator and curator promoting crypto culture through art and activism. One of the most representative projects is the globally touring 'Satoshi Nakamoto Steel Statue', first installed in Lugano, Switzerland. The sculpture features a unique visual illusion design that makes the statue seem to disappear when viewed from the front, symbolizing the anonymity and decentralized identity of Bitcoin's founder. They plan to install similar statues in at least 21 cities worldwide. Where is Satoshi? We are offering 0.1 BTC to whoever will help us recover 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 Incident details: From National Day night to statue disappearance According to X user @Grittoshi's post on the 3rd, the statue was still intact on the night of August 1 during Switzerland's National Day. He stated that many young people were gathering at the outdoor café next to the statue that evening, speculating that the theft may be related to the festive atmosphere of the National Day. 'I was at the park on the night of August 1, and the statue was still there. That day was Switzerland's National Day, and many young people were drinking at the outdoor café next to the statue. They might have moved the statue out of 'fun' on the way home.' Potential impact: Symbol of theft and community identity The statue of Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto, as a symbol of the spirit of blockchain, represents not just a loss of property but also resonates with the community's collective identity around 'decentralization' and 'trust'. The Satoshigallery team emphasized on X: 'You can steal our symbol, but you can never steal our souls.' Related reports When AI threatens human survival, we need Satoshi's design philosophy more than ever. After 14 years of slumber, the Bitcoin whale of the 'Satoshi Era' has transferred all 80,000 BTC to Galaxy, is the peak dumping? 'The Satoshi statue in Lugano, Switzerland was stolen, creator offers 0.1 BTC for information: the decentralized soul is immortal.' This article was first published on BlockTempo (the most influential blockchain news media).

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