Ripple’s “Trojan Horse”? XRP Donates Bitcoin-Critical Sculpture to Community
In a surprising move, Ripple (XRP) has donated a sculpture dubbed the “Skull of Satoshi” to the Bitcoin community during a conference in Las Vegas. The gift has been met with mixed reactions, with some investors interpreting it as a “Trojan horse.”
The artwork was originally created in 2023 by Greenpeace as part of their “Change the Code, Not the Climate” campaign. The environmental organization aimed to criticize Bitcoin mining, arguing that its energy consumption was harmful to the environment.
The campaign’s goal was to persuade the Bitcoin community to adopt a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) model, similar to Ethereum’s “The Merge” upgrade in 2022, instead of the Proof-of-Work (PoW) system.
Adding another layer to the story, Chris Larsen, co-founder and CEO of Ripple (XRP), donated $5 million to the Greenpeace campaign at the time.
This donation drew considerable criticism, especially considering XRP’s position as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency, trailing only BTC, ETH, and USDT.
One investor expressed concern that Greenpeace, Larsen, and the artist were focusing on a misinformation campaign instead of addressing more pressing issues, such as the workings of the petrodollar system.
The “Skull of Satoshi”: From Criticism to Community Symbol
Despite its initial intent as a critique of Bitcoin’s energy consumption, the “Skull of Satoshi” has been embraced by the Bitcoin community as a pro-BTC symbol.
The artist, Von Wong, even became a cryptocurrency enthusiast after receiving feedback from investors.
The sculpture, which had been stored in a warehouse for years, was donated by Ripple to the Bitcoin community during the Bitcoin 2025 conference on Wednesday.
“Special guest at Bitcoin 2025 — the Skull of Satoshi, donated by @Ripple to the Bitcoin community. Now the Skull will have a permanent home at the Bitcoin Museum in Nashville.”
Given Larsen’s previous donation to the anti-Bitcoin campaign, some community members view the gift as a potential “Trojan horse,” a reference to the Greek gift that concealed soldiers and led to the fall of Troy.
How Did the “Skull of Satoshi” End Up with Ripple?
Von Wong explained on social media how the “Skull of Satoshi” ended up in Ripple’s possession and was subsequently donated to the Bitcoin community.
After being displayed in New York City, the sculpture was placed in storage in 2023, where it remained until recently.
“When @Ripple reached out to purchase the #SkullOfSatoshi, I saw a chance for it to be back out in the world—re-sparking dialogue and conversation around the importance of making sure that our technologies are designed and maintained sustainably,” Wong wrote.
“Art, in the end, is only as powerful as the conversations it can generate—and I’m grateful that my work continues to create important opportunities for these discussions to exist. I’m excited that it now has a permanent home.”
Wong also mentioned the growing energy consumption of Artificial Intelligence technology in his statement.
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