Ripple Extends Olive Branch—Donates ’Skull of Satoshi’ Sculpture to Bitcoin Community
In a move dripping with symbolism—and maybe a hint of corporate diplomacy—Ripple just gifted the Bitcoin community a ’Skull of Satoshi’ sculpture. Because nothing says ’let’s bury the hatchet’ like a crypto-art memento mori.
The gesture aims to ease tensions between the two camps, though skeptics might call it a PR play. After all, when your native token’s been bleeding against BTC all year, why not try flattery?
Will it work? Unclear. But in crypto, even performative unity beats another round of toxic Twitter threads. For now.
Skull of Satoshi
Canadian artist Benjamin Von Wong created the “Skull of Satoshi” in 2023 as part of Greenpeace USA’s “Change the Code” campaign.
The campaign encouraged Bitcoin developers to transition from the energy-intensive proof-of-work (PoW) model to the more sustainable proof-of-stake (PoS) system that ethereum adopted in 2022.
The sculpture aimed to provoke thought around the environmental impact of Bitcoin’s proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism. It features shadowy coder figures beneath a skull composed of e-waste, all set against industrial backdrops symbolizing energy use.
However, the campaign was met with stiff opposition from the Bitcoin community, who pointed out that the movement was designed to vilify the top crypto.
Criticism intensified when it emerged that Ripple Co-founder Chris Larsen had donated $5 million to support the campaign. Some argued this confirmed Ripple’s involvement in efforts to discredit Bitcoin.
Yet, Von Wong maintains that the artwork was never intended to attack Bitcoin. Instead, it was meant to inspire the industry to embrace cleaner, renewable energy without compromising the Core values of Bitcoin—security, decentralization, and censorship resistance.
Community reaction
Ripple’s donation has divided opinion within the crypto community, with its supporters viewing it as a sincere effort to build bridges between the two blockchain networks.
However, Bitcoin advocates argue that Ripple’s gesture was hollow, especially given its prior alignment with anti-BTC narratives.
VanEck’s head of digital asset research, Matthew Sigel, voiced his disdain for the piece, saying Ripple should have apologized for its previous support of anti-Bitcoin campaigns.
Other community members echoed this sentiment, with Bitcoin supporter Pierre Rochard remarking that Ripple’s attacks on Bitcoin only strengthened it. He stated:
“Brad, your attacks on bitcoin have only made it stronger. Bitcoin is anti-fragile.”
