The Central Bank of Argentina (BCRA) inaugurated a unique art exhibition at its Héctor Carlos Janson Historical and Numismatic Museum with bitcoin in the spotlight. The exhibition, titled “Art, artificial intelligence and the Future of Economics,” marks the first instance globally where real destroyed currency from various nations is on display alongside operational bitcoin miners within a central banking institution.
The Central Bank of Argentina mines bitcoin
The innovative exhibition, curated by Argentine artist Alberto Echegaray Guevara, integrates tangible elements of obsolete paper money with the dynamic presence of bitcoin and ethereum mining operations. “We have developed the exhibition together with the Central Bank. Try to show different types of coins. I have been to more than 17 central banks in the last twelve years, where I have destroyed money. The message has to do with the disappearance of paper money and the new financial systems, more linked to technology,” reported Infobae, an international Argentine online newspaper. appointment Echegaray Guevara.
The artist emphasizes the shift towards decentralized financial systems intertwined with artificial intelligence. “For the first time we are going to find bitcoin and ethereum coins in a Central Bank museum. What I want to say is where the financial and monetary systems are going, that they are going towards decentralized systems, that have a close link with artificial intelligence,” he stressed.
Echegaray Guevara, who identifies himself as a crypto artist, destroyed coins from 17 different central banks, including significant amounts such as one million Swiss francs, one million euros, one million reais and 100 million rubles, encapsulating each within transparent spheres .
Despite Argentina's continued dependence on physical currency, Echegaray Guevara highlighted a notable digital shift in the use of the dollar: “Although Argentina still uses a lot of paper money, if we talk about dollars, less than 10% is printed, the rest is completely digital. “
The exhibit not only shows destroyed physical coins, but also features operational mining hardware that has generated over 250 btc and 3,000 eth in over three years.
Highlighting the prominence of ethereum, a sphere containing 800 actual eth is signed by Vitalik Buterin, the creator of the blockchain. Additionally, the exhibition integrates works by pioneering generative artists of the 1960s, such as Gyula Kosice, Julio Le Parc, and Miguel Angel Vidal, who initially harnessed computational power for their artistic endeavors.
The opening ceremony, attended by Santiago Bausili, president of the Central Bank, along with government officials, prominent Argentine collectors and key figures in the crypto sector, signifies the importance of the event. “This exhibition seeks to lead visitors to reflect on the process of transition from an economy focused on physical money to one where cryptocurrencies and digital assets are beginning to gain ground,” the organizers stated.
The exhibition, which will be open until March 2025, aims to become a milestone in both the artistic and financial spheres.
The revelation has sparked significant reactions from the global bitcoin community. Anthony Pompliano, founder and CEO of Professional Capital Management, x.com/APompliano/status/1852334779363950893″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener nofollow”>commented via This is the first central bank in the world that I know of that mines bitcoins openly. The future is coming very quickly.”
Similarly, Patrick Lowry, CEO of Samara AG, x.com/Patrick_Lowry_/status/1852336634747822562″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener nofollow”>shared his thoughts on x: “The Central Bank of Argentina now has a bitcoin mining exhibition in its halls. Central banks that adopt bitcoin may survive. Those who do not do so will perish.”
At the time of this publication, btc was trading at $70,949.
Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
