The famous statue of Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, recently went missing from its installation location in Ciani Park in Lugano. The disappearance of the “Disappearing Satoshi” statue has shocked everyone.
The statue was recovered shortly after going missing by the Municipality of Lugano.
The life-size statue was a symbol of anonymity and decentralization – two of the main values of the Bitcoin movement. Designed by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi, the statue was a faceless figure sitting in front of a laptop.
From certain angles, it looked like it disappeared entirely, using a visual illusion of striped steel and open space.
The statue was unveiled on October 25, 2024, during the Plan ₿ Forum – a blockchain event co-hosted by the City of Lugano and Tether, a popular stablecoin issuer. Since then, it has been the centerpiece of Lugano’s identity as a digital innovation hub, often called “The Bitcoin City”.
Local authorities confirmed the theft and the investigation is ongoing, but no suspects have been identified yet. X user @Grittoshi, who was one of the first to raise the alarm, said he believes the statue was thrown into a nearby lake.
The news has outraged Bitcoiners, artists and Lugano residents. “You can steal our symbol, but you will never be able to steal our souls,” posted the artist collective Satoshigallery on X.
The group, led by Picozzi, offered 0.1 BTC – around $11,000 – for any information that leads to the statue’s recovery.
The theft happened less than a year after the statue was unveiled.
New developments came fast, and as it turns out, Gritto was right. The statue was thrown into the nearby lake. The statue was discovered after a brief search and pulled from the water by the Municipality of Lugano.
Picozzi spent 18 months researching and 3 months building the sculpture, which was made of 304 stainless steel and corten blocks. Many think it’s more than just a statue, it’s a symbol of what Bitcoin is – freedom, privacy and a global community.
Lugano’s mayor, Michele Foletti, was also disappointed and called the statue a representation of Lugano’s commitment to digital innovation. He said the statue was a legacy of Satoshi Nakamoto and the city’s vision for the future.
This was not just a local project; it’s part of a global initiative. Satoshigallery will install 21 identical statues in 21 cities around the world, representing the total 21 million supply of bitcoin. One was recently installed in Tokyo, and more will follow.
Despite the theft, the team is not giving up. “We are all in this together and committed to place the statue in 21 places round the world,” posted Satoshigallery.
The community is in an uproar. Some see this as an attack on decentralization and freedom. Others think it’s a protest or just a crime. The incident also raises questions about public art security, especially in the Bitcoin space.
While Lugano police are investigating, they ask anyone with info to come forward.
The statue’s disappearance has also highlighted the growing relationship between cities and digital finance. As Bitcoin goes mainstream, symbols like the Satoshi statue are gaining cultural value – not just financial.
The statue will now likely need repairs, and many hope it will return to its original place in Ciani Park. Bitcoiners have been visiting the place where the statue once was, paying their tribute to the missing statue of the man they keep close to their hearts.
