In Switzerland, a statue of Satoshi Nakamoto that had previously been stolen from a city park in Lugano was found submerged in a lake. Municipal workers recovered the art piece in a damaged state. The artist collective Satoshi Gallery, which had installed the statue, confirmed its return.
Damaged Sculpture Found in the Water
The digitized image installation of Satoshi Nakamoto was pulled from Lake Lugano several days after its disappearance. The statue, created by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi, had been removed from its pedestal in Parco Ciani and thrown into the water by unknown individuals.
According to a statement by Satoshi Gallery, the statue was recovered in multiple broken pieces. Preliminary assessments indicate the incident was an act of vandalism rather than an attempt to profit from resale. The structure had been attached to the base at only two points – the feet, which remained in place. The rest of the statue was found damaged.
Reward Offered and Community Reaction
The Satoshi Gallery collective offered a reward of 0.1 BTC (over $11.000 at the time of writing) for the statue’s return.
The Satoshi Nakamoto monument was unveiled in October 2024. It quickly became a landmark for the crypto community and a symbol of Bitcoin’s mysterious founder. The project took 21 months from concept to installation.
The act of vandalism sparked strong reactions online. Pointsville CEO Gabor Gurbacs called the incident “tasteless and stupid.” Some members of the community, including anonymous Bitcoin enthusiast Gritto, speculated that it may have been drunken revelers celebrating Swiss National Day.
“You can steal our symbol, but not our soul,” said representatives of Satoshi Gallery.
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