Vanished Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Turns Up in Lugano

Stolen Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Recovered from Lake in Lugano

The iconic Satoshi Nakamoto statue—an optical illusion sculpture paying tribute to Bitcoin’s anonymous creator—has been recovered from a lake in Lugano just days after it was reported missing.

Created by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi, the statue is made up of layered vertical stripes that form the image of Satoshi and dissolve into code when viewed head-on. It had stood at the site since late 2024, after being unveiled on October 25 at the Plan B Bitcoin Forum, part of Lugano’s effort—alongside Swiss-Tether—to establish itself as a global Bitcoin hub.

Satoshigallery, the artistic initiative led by Picozzi, first reported the statue missing on August 3, sharing a photo of the empty platform where it once stood. Not long after, X user @Grittoshi speculated that the statue may have been tossed into the nearby lake during Swiss National Day celebrations on August 1. “There are cameras all over the city,” the user wrote. “They probably threw it into the lake before heading home. No way it left the area unnoticed.”

The theory proved accurate. Satoshigallery later confirmed the statue was found submerged in the lake and recovered successfully. The group had offered a 0.1 BTC reward for assistance in locating it. “You can steal our symbol, but never our souls,” the gallery posted on X. “We stand together—and we’re still committed to placing this statue in 21 locations worldwide.”

While it’s still unclear how much damage the statue sustained, Picozzi shared recovery photos and hinted that restoration might be done using Kintsugi—the traditional Japanese technique of repairing broken objects with gold, silver, or platinum, transforming the breakage into a visible, artistic feature.

A petition has been launched asking Lugano authorities to provide logistical and security support for the statue’s reinstallation. According to the petition, Picozzi has offered to handle the restoration at her own expense.

The incident occurred just over a week after Satoshigallery installed its third Satoshi statue—this time in Tokyo—as part of a growing international art initiative honoring Bitcoin’s mysterious origin.