Budapest, Sept. 17 (BUS): A majestic bronze statue has been unveiled in the Hungarian capital, which its creators say is the first in the world to honor the unknown creator of the digital currency Bitcoin.
Erected in a shopping complex near the Danube River in Budapest, the bust sits atop a stone plinth inscribed with the name Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym of the mysterious Bitcoin developer whose true identity is unknown.
“We believe that Satoshi is the founding father of the entire cryptocurrency industry,” said Andras Gyorvi, a bitcoin journalist and initiator of the project. “He created Bitcoin, he created blockchain technology, he is the god of our market.”
Wrapped in a bronze hood adorned with the Bitcoin logo, the statue’s featureless face is hard-polished to make it reflect like a mirror in which viewers can see themselves.
Its creators, sculptors Rika Gergeli and Tamas Gili, sought to depict a human form while maintaining anonymity for Nakamoto, according to the Associated Press.
Created in 2008 in the wake of the global financial crisis, Bitcoin was intended to circumvent traditional financial institutions by developing secure technology for peer-to-peer online transactions without the use of intermediaries such as banks.
The Constituent White Paper published that year was authored by Nakamoto – a pseudonym that can refer to a person or group of people of unknown gender, age, or national origin.
Georvi said that the organizers of the statue project called on Nakamoto to reveal, hoping to finally find out the true identity of the Bitcoin inventor.
But even though the event attracted several hundred people, no one has come forward with responsibility for developing the cryptocurrency that has attracted tens of millions of investors and was adopted this month as legal tender in El Salvador.
Giorfi said that the statue is a symbol of respect for Nakamoto, and an attempt to “raise awareness of blockchain and cryptocurrency.”
Along with other Hungarian Bitcoin enthusiasts, he has raised around $10,000 in cryptocurrency donations to fund the creation of the bust.
But that had to be converted into Hungarian currency, he said, because “unfortunately, sculptors and other service providers don’t accept bitcoin yet.”
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