A statue of Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, located in Lugano, Switzerland, which was believed to have been stolen for over a day, has been found on the shore of a nearby lake. The alleged theft even sparked a reward hunt, with Satoshigallery offering a reward of 0.1 BTC for anyone providing information about its whereabouts.
The Missing Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Found in Lugano
One of the artworks inspired by the mysterious figure of Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, is believed to have been stolen from its display location in Lugano on Saturday when Bitcoin fans noticed it had been partially removed from its spot at Villa Ciani in Lugano.
The statue, unveiled in October by Plan ₿—an initiative established in collaboration with Tether and the City of Lugano—consists of multiple metal plates, described as gradually disappearing from the viewer's sight as they 'change their perspective,' symbolizing Satoshi's retreat from the public eye after laying the groundwork for a revolutionary financial system.
Since the news of the statue's theft spread on social media, several theories have emerged about its possible whereabouts. X user Gritto, a local resident, said that since it was Swiss National Day and drunken youths were at the café near the statue, it could be near or in the lake after they 'played' with it. 'There are cameras all over the city, so I assume they just threw it into the lake before going home,' he emphasized.
Satoshigallery, an art project led by the creator of the statue, Valentina Picozzi, urgently took to social media, offering 0.1 BTC for any assistance leading to the recovery of the missing statue.
Satoshigallery states:
You can steal our symbol, but you will never be able to steal our soul. We are in this together and committed to placing the statue in 21 locations around the world.
On August 3, Satoshigallery thanked the local authorities in Lugano for helping to retrieve the statue that had been thrown into the nearby lake, just as Gritto had predicted.
After being recovered, a group of citizens in Lugano launched a petition campaign to restore the artwork in a 'new, appropriate, and safe location to ensure visibility, appreciation, and protection of the sculpture.'
