Where’s Satoshi? Statue of Bitcoin creator gets stolen, smashed, and lake-dumped in Lugano

Key Takeaways

• A statue of Satoshi Nakamoto was stolen in Lugano, Switzerland, prompting a reward offer.
• The statue was later found broken in a nearby lake.

A life-sized statue of Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, disappeared from Parco Ciani Park in Lugano, as reported by X user Gritto this morning.

Gritto, who visited the park and captured photos, said the statue was still in place on the night of August 1st. At the time, the area was bustling with activity due to Swiss National Day festivities, and nearby cafés filled with celebrants.

He theorized that a group of partygoers, intoxicated and passing through after the celebrations, might have decided to “have fun” with the statue on their way home. The statue’s disappearance was believed to have occurred sometime that night.

Gritto’s photos show a portion of the statue still attached to the base and the metal nameplate engraved with “Satoshi Nakamoto,” along with the artist’s name, Valentina Picozzi.

“There are cameras everywhere in the city so i assume, they just threw it inside the lake beside, before going home,” Gritto suggested . “No way, they could have carried it unnoticed in the city. So my opinion: it is in the lake, just beside its previous location.”

Statue of Bitcoin creator discovered broken in a nearby lake

After the theft surfaced, Picozzi’s Satoshigallery announced a 0.1 BTC reward for leads on the statue’s recovery. The team also confirmed it would proceed with plans to install identical statues in 21 locations worldwide.

A number of users on X claimed the statue was recovered from a nearby lake, damaged and incomplete.