There have certainly been some weird and wonderful stories to emerge surrounding Bitcoin as of late – just check out our list of the surprising things you can buy with BTC for starters. But, the latest story to do the rounds is even something that caught us off guard. Kranj – the popular Slovenian city – has officially built the world’s first ever Bitcoin monument. Paying tribute to the leading decentralized cryptocurrency, the project has been erected on a roundabout of all places. It’s safe to say that this particular stretch of road is going to have a crypto-inspired look moving forward.
Slovenia celebrates its Bitcoin history
Odds are you are wondering why Slovenia – of all the cities in the world – is home the first ever Bitcoin monument? Well, Slovenia has quickly become a Bitcoin hotspot, with the level of cryptocurrency-related activity in recent years booming. Slovenia was the original home of Bitstamp – the leading cryptocurrency exchange – so in a way it’s always been a country that has stood behind the Bitcoin cause.
We’ve always thought that Bitcoin was worthy of a monument, so it’s great to see the city of Kranj celebrate the cryptocurrency that’s changing the world. Installed on a city center roundabout, the giant installation of the famous Bitcoin ‘B’ logo now greets anyone on approach. Crafted out of metal, the monument is the brainchild of Selman Čorović and Aleksander Frančeškin, who have created it with funding from Bitstamp and Slovenian-based tech design company 3fs.
Bitstamp pays homage to home
Bitstamp has become one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world today. Age and experience have made it a leading force, with it being a fully-fledged supporter of Bitcoin from launch to present day. Headed up by CEO Nejc Kodrič, a notable member of the Bitcoin community, he co-founded the exchange back in August 2011 with native Slovenian Damijan Merlak. Since its early days in Slovenia, Bitstamp has bounced around Europe, before landing in Luxembourg two years ago. While it might have moved around a fair bit, even setting up in the UK for a short-time, Bitstamp has never forgotten its roots, something that this monument proves.
Embracing the crypto-art movement
Kranj is the first municipality to green light a Bitcoin-themed monument installation, but this isn’t the first time that Bitcoin and art have come together. Back in July, an unnamed street artistic created a graffiti homage to Bitcoin by spray painting the Bitcoin logo on one of Yekaterinburg’s riverside monuments in Russia. This isn’t the only time that street artists have taken up the charge for Bitcoin either, as cryptocurrency-themed graffiti has been popping up all around the world. This has led to the creation of websites like Cryptoart, along with decentralized art galleries that allow visitors to buy everything including Bitcoin statues, paintings, and other crypto-themed works of art. As the crypto-art movement grows, several artists have spoken about how it’s become an important aspect of the Bitcoin ethos. Leading street artist Cryptograffiti explained why art is pivotal to the Bitcoin cause, “Throughout history, art has played a pivotal role in spreading movements”, as he declared himself “dedicated to spreading the cryptocurrency and blockchain movement through art”.
The first monument of many
Bitcoin has become nothing short of a global phenomenon, so it only makes sense that the world honors the market leading crypto with its very own monument. Slovenia has been the first country to create such a landmark piece of modern art. However, we very much doubt that it’ll be the last as Bitcoin’s art movement continues to grow!
