Municipal officials from the city of Lugano, Switzerland, recovered the statue, which had been thrown into Lake Lugano after being removed from its base in Parco Ciani, a lakeside park in the Swiss city, by unknown individuals.

Municipal officials found the statue in several pieces, indicating vandalism rather than theft for profit. The statue was only welded to the base at two points, the feet, which remained fixed to the base.

The iconic artwork by Italian artist and Bitcoin advocate, Valentina Picozzi, was inaugurated in October 2024 and has become an emblematic symbol of the Bitcoin community. The statue took 21 months to be fully planned and constructed, according to the artist.

"You can steal our symbol, but you will never steal our souls," said Satoshigallery, reiterating the commitment of the art collective to place similar statues in 21 locations around the world.

$BTC

BTC
BTC
93,598
+0.29%