Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Reappears in Lugano After Going Missing

Satoshi Nakamoto Statue Recovered from Lugano Lake After Disappearance

A unique statue honoring Bitcoin’s elusive creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has been recovered from a lake in Lugano, Switzerland, days after it was reported missing. The sculpture, created by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi, is known for its illusionary design—stripes that vanish into lines of code when viewed head-on—and had been a fixture at its location since late 2024.

The statue’s disappearance was first reported on August 3 by Satoshigallery, Picozzi’s art initiative, which posted an image on social media showing the empty space where the installation once stood. The piece was originally unveiled on October 25, 2024, during Plan B’s Bitcoin Forum, as part of a broader campaign by Swiss-Tether and the city of Lugano to brand itself as a global Bitcoin hub.

The incident gained traction online when X user @Grittoshi suggested the statue had likely been thrown into the nearby lake during celebrations for Swiss National Day on August 1. “There are cameras everywhere in the city,” the post read. “I assume they just tossed it in the lake before going home. No way they carried it off unnoticed.”

Shortly after, Satoshigallery confirmed the statue had indeed been found submerged in the lake. The gallery had previously offered a reward of 0.1 BTC for information leading to its recovery. “You can steal our symbol, but you’ll never steal our souls,” they wrote in a post. “We’re united in this mission and committed to placing the statue in 21 locations around the world.”

Artist Valentina Picozzi shared images of the recovery on social media, adding that the statue may undergo Kintsugi-style restoration—a Japanese technique that repairs damaged objects with lacquer mixed with gold, silver, or platinum, turning the damage itself into part of the artwork’s story.

It’s not yet clear how much damage the statue sustained while underwater. A petition has been launched asking the city of Lugano to provide logistical and security support for its restoration. According to the petition, Picozzi has offered to fund the repairs personally.

The theft occurred just over a week after Satoshigallery unveiled its third Satoshi statue—this one installed in Tokyo—as part of a growing international series.