Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Found in Lugano Lake Days After Mysterious Disappearance
The statue of Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s enigmatic creator, has been recovered from a lake in Lugano, Switzerland—just days after its sudden disappearance sparked speculation and concern within the crypto community.
The sculpture, a visual illusion made of vertical stripes that shift into lines of code when viewed head-on, was designed by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi. It had been installed in late 2024 and officially unveiled on October 25 during Plan B’s Bitcoin Forum, part of Lugano’s push—alongside Swiss-Tether—to promote itself as a global hub for Bitcoin innovation.
The disappearance was reported on August 3 by Satoshigallery, the art initiative led by Picozzi. A photo shared on X (formerly Twitter) showed the empty site where the statue once stood. The sudden theft drew immediate online attention, with X user @Grittoshi suggesting the statue may have been thrown into the lake during Swiss National Day celebrations on August 1. “There are cameras all over the city,” the user wrote. “I assume they tossed it in the lake before heading home. There’s no way it was carried off unnoticed.”
That theory turned out to be accurate. The statue was located and retrieved from the lake shortly after the post. Satoshigallery had offered a 0.1 BTC reward for help in recovering it. “You can steal our symbol, but not our soul,” the team posted. “We remain united and committed to placing the statue in 21 locations around the world.”
While the full extent of the damage remains unknown, Picozzi shared recovery images on social media and indicated that Kintsugi—the Japanese art of mending broken items with gold, silver, or platinum—might be used in the restoration process. A petition has also been launched asking Lugano city officials to assist with security and logistics for reinstalling the statue. According to the petition, Picozzi has offered to cover all restoration costs personally.
The theft comes shortly after the unveiling of Satoshigallery’s third Nakamoto statue, which was installed in Tokyo—part of an ongoing international series honoring the origin and impact of Bitcoin.
