What usually comes to mind about cryptocurrencies is digital: laptops, wallet apps, charts, websites. However, over the last few years, it’s been possible to see how crypto has also stepped outside, in the form of symbolic sculptures. They’re scattered into parks, art galleries, and different public spaces, available for everyone to see. If you like the idea of strolling through a park and stumbling upon a statue of Satoshi Nakamoto or some other crypto-related artifact, that's quite possible in several cities around the world. Let's explore! Crypto Art Exhibitions Some pieces aren’t meant for parks, but for art galleries. These artworks appear here and there in mostly temporary exhibitions, but they’re evidence enough of crypto’s influence on the art world. An early example was set by the Plantoids, started by the art group O’Khaos in 2015. They’re described as “blockchain-based life form(s)” that need humans to reproduce. Plantoids Plantoids O’Khaos O’Khaos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsUq7bGoLI0&embedable=true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsUq7bGoLI0&embedable=true It may sound digital, but they have mechanical bodies with unique designs, and a “soul” built on a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) on Ethereum. If someone “feeds” them tokens, they can “hire” an artist to reproduce. Since 2017, the group behind this project has organized gallery exhibitions in cities like Basel (Switzerland), Rome (Italy), Linz (Austria), San Francisco (USA), Paris (France), and London (UK). There's probably more to come. It may sound digital, but they have mechanical bodies with unique designs, and a “soul” built on a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) on Ethereum In the same vein, the Schinkel Pavillon (in Berlin, Germany) hosted the exhibition "Proof of Work" in 2018. The title borrowed the term from Bitcoin mining, but the exhibition looked beyond that. An attention-grabbing artwork was a money-destroying machine (“Chaos Machine”) where visitors saw bills burning amid a melody, and received in exchange a ticket (or “chaos coin”) that worked to select new songs for the playlist. Made by Distributed Gallery, it tried to communicate how cryptocurrencies are challenging old monetary systems. Proof of Work Proof of Work old monetary systems old monetary systems The machine was inside an installation composed of a large, inflatable, and otherwise empty “bubble” in the middle of the room. Called “Tropical Mining Station”, this setup alluded to how cryptos have been considered a financial bubble. financial bubble financial bubble Crypto Connection Head to the Observation Point on London’s South Bank, and you'll find a sculpture that, at first glance, looks like it belongs in a maternity ward. It's a three-meter-tall bronze piece depicting a pregnant woman's torso, complete with a baby. That's when you realize why it's not in a hospital: the baby is holding a smartphone. This artwork, installed in 2018, is named “Crypto Connection,” and its author is the Italian Federico Clapis. Often described as the first public sculpture dedicated to cryptocurrency, it’s meant to symbolize how the future of finance is still in development, and crypto is on its way too. A bit indirect, but the initiative and funding came from the crypto wallet brand Eidoo. This company also gave away $30,000 in crypto tokens to the assistants during the installation event. Often described as the first public sculpture dedicated to cryptocurrency, it’s meant to symbolize how the future of finance is still in development, and crypto is on its way too. described described Some years later, in 2021, Clapis released just the baby of the sculpture (“Little by little”) as an NFT on Ethereum. This way, the artwork lives both in the physical and digital worlds. It’s described like this: “Rust on the shoulders of previous generations and eyes towards the future. Little by little, our species is constantly evolving.” Little by little Little by little Mirroring Satoshi We still don’t know the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious Bitcoin creator. He vanished from the online world in 2010. In 2015, one of the email addresses previously used by him sent this message to the community: “We are all Satoshi.” We’re still not 100% sure that it was the “original” Satoshi, but the idea remained. So, the Hungarian artists Réka Gergely and Tamás Gilly honored these words when they designed their own statue of the Bitcoin creator, placed at the Graphisoft Park in Budapest in 2021. the mysterious Bitcoin creator the mysterious Bitcoin creator sent this message sent this message So, the Hungarian artists Réka Gergely and Tamás Gilly honored these words when they designed their own statue of the Bitcoin creator Their work is a bronze bust of a hooded figure with the Bitcoin logo on the “fabric.” It has a smooth, reflective face without actual features, mirroring whoever stands in front of it. Look at it closely, and your own face appears. We are all Satoshi, indeed. The local crypto community funded this initiative with $10,000, which further reflects the collective spirit of the sculpture. Now sitting quietly among office buildings, the statue blends into everyday routines. Their work Their work Disappearing Satoshis More of Satoshi’s sculptures would come, of course. In 2024, Italian artist Valentina Picozzi created her own version, this one built with layered metal pieces that tend to disappear to the eye, depending on the angle. This Satoshi is a hooded figure with a laptop, sitting cross-legged, quietly, faceless, and sometimes even invisible. The concept reflects how Bitcoin’s creator exists in fragments: emails, forum posts, code, and speculation. In 2024, Italian artist Valentina Picozzi created her own version, this one built with layered metal pieces that tend to disappear to the eye, depending on the angle. https://x.com/satoshigallery/status/1849788385809813967?embedable=true https://x.com/satoshigallery/status/1849788385809813967?embedable=true The artist translated this absence into a physical form that will accompany all types of people in different public spaces —because it’s not just one statue. The first piece was installed at Lugano, Switzerland, but they’re meant to be 21 in total. Identical pieces followed in El Salvador, Japan, and Vietnam, each located in public or semi-public spaces where people would encounter them by chance. By 2025, the series reached its sixth installation, placed near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), one of the world's most established financial institutions. This fact alone speaks volumes about crypto’s growing acceptance, even by household names. its sixth installation its sixth installation Somos Génesis Within a crystal block lies the yellow silhouette of a man, reproduced in an infinite illusion around. Outside, the carcass has an engraved message: “Don’t trust, verify.” That’s the winning sculpture of the B·Art Prize 2025 competition organized by the NGO Bitcoin Argentina. It stood out among hundreds of proposals to create a physical representation of Satoshi Nakamoto. https://x.com/oscarlau/status/1987586939180965942?embedable=true https://x.com/oscarlau/status/1987586939180965942?embedable=true Named “Somos Génesis” (We Are Genesis), it was created by the Argentinian artist duo Ricardo & Celeste. They received $2,000 in BTC as a reward, while the sculpture itself is meant to be installed at the Innovation Park in Buenos Aires —a known Bitcoin hub. This implies that anyone will be able to visit this iconic tribute to Bitcoin’s origins, right in the heart of the community. Bitcoin Argentina hopes this will become an iconic landmark for the city. Named “Somos Génesis” (We Are Genesis), it was created by the Argentinian artist duo Ricardo & Celeste. it was created it was created Beyond Satoshi and Bitcoin As we can see, most crypto-related sculptures and memorials honor Bitcoin and Satoshi Nakamoto. This respect is deeply deserved, as they laid the foundational stone for everything that followed. Giving them a permanent place in our cities is a fitting tribute to that original, revolutionary promise of decentralized digital money. However, the landscape has blossomed far beyond that single genesis point. Today, a whole universe of diverse cryptocurrencies exists, each innovating in unique ways. This spirit of evolution is visible in projects like Obyte, which offers a different architectural approach as a more decentralized system operating without traditional miners or "validators." It’s a reminder that the original vision isn’t static but is constantly being reinterpreted and refined. And now, that very promise has stepped out of the digital realm and into our physical surroundings. This spirit of evolution is visible in projects like Obyte, which offers a different architectural approach as a more decentralized system operating without traditional miners or "validators." Obyte Obyte Through public artworks, these concepts become tangible, shared with an entire community regardless of their technical knowledge. It’s no longer just a topic for enthusiasts online, but a physical inspiration for a more open and decentralized world, rooted in shared public spaces. Featured Vector Image by pch.vector / Freepik Featured Vector Image by pch.vector / Freepik Freepik Freepik
