Greenpeace has unveiled the ‘Skull of Satoshi’, an 11-foot art installation crafted from recycled electronic waste and featuring Bitcoin logos. The piece was created by renowned artist Benjamin Von Wong in order to spark a conversation about the impact of Bitcoin on the environment – not as an anti-Bitcoin symbol, but as a tool to encourage dialogue.
Greenpeace unveils art installation: ‘Skull of Satoshi’
On March 23, Greenpeace, the international environmental NGO, unveiled Benjamin Von Wong’s 11-foot art installation ‘Skull of Satoshi’ in order to criticize Bitcoin’s impact on the environment. The structure comprises smokestacks symbolizing the use of fossil fuels for energy production, hundreds of protruding cables and bitcoin logos in its eyes, as well as e-waste material to symbolize the computers used to validate Bitcoin transactions.
Greenpeace, represented by Rolf Skar, is aiming to raise awareness of the amount of energy consumed by Bitcoin and how it might be reduced with a code change. With their iconic Skull of Satoshi symbol, they are urging financial institutions to advocate for the changes so that Bitcoin’s electricity usage can be cut by an impressive 99%. Skar said: “We cannot afford to expand our reliance on fossil fuels any further.” To further this cause, the Skull of Satoshi will travel to New York as part of an ‘accountability tour’ in order to encourage financial institutions that are using Bitcoin to push for a code change that will help lessen its impact on climate change.
‘Skull of Satoshi’ maker clarifies intention
On March 25th, Benjamin Von Wong took to Twitter to clarify his intentions behind the creation of the Skull of Satoshi, an installation commissioned by Greenpeace. He explained he had initially designed it as a simplistic representation of Bitcoin Mining and its effects on energy consumption. “I made the Skull believing that Bitcoin mining was a simple black-and-white issue,” he stated, adding that he had always sought to reduce physical waste in the real world.
However, Von Wong realized that his initial understanding of Bitcoin Mining was wrong. He clarified that the sculpture was never meant to be anti-Bitcoin, but an “optimistic hope” for it to shift away from fossil fuels while still maintaining its other desirable features, such as safety, security, and decentralization.