The “Skull of Satoshi” was gifted by Ripple to the Bitcoin community, while CEO Brad Garlinghouse remarked that Bitcoin and XRP share more common ground than often perceived.
Ripple’s “Skull of Satoshi” Gift Highlights Unexpected BTC-XRP Similarities
On Tuesday, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse advocated for increased solidarity across cryptocurrency communities in a message posted on social platform X. Ripple announced the donation of the Skull of Satoshi to the Bitcoin community, aligning the news with plans to permanently house the artwork at the Bitcoin Museum in Nashville.
The Skull of Satoshi was originally built to call attention to blockchain energy usage, and today it’s a symbol and reminder of Bitcoin’s incredible staying power to many around the world (including me!).
Garlinghouse stated:
Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong created the 11-foot-tall Skull of Satoshi in collaboration with Greenpeace USA. They introduced it in March 2023 as the centerpiece of the “Change the Code, Not the Climate” campaign, aiming to spotlight bitcoin mining’s environmental impact. Von Wong constructed the piece using discarded electronics and designed it with smokestacks and glowing red laser eyes. The artwork criticizes the energy-intensive proof-of-work consensus system and promotes greener alternatives.
Although the artist originally intended the piece as a critique, the bitcoin community widely embraced it and reinterpreted it as a symbol of the cryptocurrency’s durability and strength. Artist Von Wong later acknowledged that he had oversimplified bitcoin’s environmental impact and recognized the importance of a more nuanced understanding.
Garlinghouse emphasized the need for unity across blockchain initiatives in his message. He stated, “As crypto and blockchain technologies gain broader adoption, recognition, and understanding, we must set aside our divisions and work together to advance the industry.”
I hope this gesture continues to remind folks that we ( BTC, XRP, and other crypto communities) have more in common than we think.
The Ripple CEO further remarked:
The Bitcoin Conference acknowledged the donation in a post on X, stating that Ripple donated the Skull of Satoshi to the Bitcoin community. They added that the sculpture, a special guest at Bitcoin 2025, will find its permanent home at the Bitcoin Museum in Nashville.
