Crypto organization The Satoshi Gallery has announced a 0.1 Bitcoin (BTC) bounty, valued at approximately $11,359, for information leading to the recovery of the stolen Satoshi Nakamoto statue in Lugano, Switzerland.
Reportedly stolen from its location in Villa Ciani park, the statue dedicated to Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator may have been thrown into a nearby lake. The incident became known the previous day.
The bronze statue, unveiled late last year, held significant symbolic value. Its featureless, hooded figure embodied Satoshi Nakamoto’s anonymity and the decentralized principles underpinning the Bitcoin network itself.
This Lugano statue was one of only three identical bronze depictions of Satoshi Nakamoto globally. Permanent installations exist in Zonte, El Salvador, and Tokyo, Japan.
The loss disrupts The Satoshi Gallery’s project aiming to install 21 such statues worldwide as a tribute to Bitcoin and its enigmatic founder, with 18 additional statues planned for prominent international locations.