Another statue of the mysterious Bitcoin (BTC) creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, has surfaced - this time in a place no one would expect, Fornelli, Italy. It is the third identical monument to appear in the past month, following installations in El Zonte, El Salvador, and Tokyo, Japan.
But what about Fornelli? That is what stands out. The small Italian town on a hill is not exactly known for its crypto innovation. It does not host tech summits or push Bitcoin as legal tender. What it is doing now is a bold, symbolic nod to decentralization, right in its historic center.
A couple of weeks ago, El Zonte - or "Bitcoin Beach" as it is also called - unveiled its own Nakamoto statue. Just a few days later, one was also unveiled in Tokyo's Shibuya district, right in front of a big Bitcoin mural. The tribute in Tokyo feels right, especially with all the talk about Nakamoto being Japanese and the country's early involvement with Bitcoin.
But three statues like that, all in such quick succession and across three continents, feels like more than just a coincidence. It is not clear if this is a planned effort or a shared instinct among crypto communities.
But there is a throughline: anonymity, access and the idea that anyone - or everyone - could be Satoshi.
There is no biography. It is just a hood, a laptop and a bunch of metal slats. The question now is, how many more Satoshis will appear?
Vladislav Sopov
Dan Burgin