From skate parks and construction sites to train stations and bus stops, a pair of bitcoin-loving graffiti artists from Barcelona, Spain, have been working tirelessly to spread the good word about bitcoin.
Street Cy₿er, a collective of artists and enthusiasts, has been creating bitcoin (btc) street art across Europe since its formation in January 2023 to raise awareness about the cryptocurrency.
One of the co-founders of Street Cy₿er, “Street,” told Cointelegraph that the team consists of more than 100 educators, enthusiasts, artists, musicians, activists, and journalists. Their efforts can be seen in Barcelona, London, Berlin, Madrid, Prague, Riga (Latvia) and Tallinn (Estonia).
Much of their artwork, which they share on social media, aims to offer powerful statements about the supposed failures of the traditional financial system and where bitcoin can intervene. Other works of art simply seek to raise awareness about cryptocurrencies. Street told Cointelegraph:
“Street art is also a way to bypass traditional media, which is often controlled by powerful interests.”
He said Street Cy₿er’s motivation behind bitcoin street art is plain and simple: to push for a more just world.
“The symbiosis between street art and bitcoin is powerful. By working together, these two movements help create a more just and equitable world.”
The Street Cy₿er website’s gallery currently displays more than 70 images of his artwork, all of which feature the bitcoin logo or mention its name.
“Buy bitcoin, defund the state”
Speaking about specific pieces of his work, Street said the premise behind “Buy bitcoin Defund The State” was to get people thinking about how bitcoin can help create a freer society by reducing the role of the state in people’s lives. people.
“bitcoin is a peaceful way to protest against the State and its policies. “It is a way to get out of the traditional financial system (and) escape from the tyranny of the State.”
Street said bitcoin is being used to build a “new society” that flourishes from individual freedom and voluntary cooperation, a philosophy pushed by many cryptocurrency anarchists around the world.
“Make war unaffordable”
Street says bitcoin scarcity will make it harder for governments to wage wars because they can’t print more btc to finance them.
“This will make it harder for governments to maintain large armies and make war less affordable,” he said.
If wars were hypothetically funded with bitcoin, the cryptocurrency’s transparency would make it harder for state actors to hide war spending, Street believes, and such attacks would be more likely to be picked up by opposing states.
Additionally, Street said the “bitcoin makes war unaffordable” message relates to promoting peace and freedom around the world.
“Print books, not money”
Street believes that if states used bitcoin to fund education instead of printing money, free education around the world could become a possibility.
Due to bitcoin‘s scarcity, governments would think twice before allocating it, Street said:
“bitcoin is a scarce resource, so governments would have to be careful how they spend it. “This would make governments more accountable to their citizens and help ensure that education is a top priority.”
Not all of Street Cy₿er’s bitcoin street art is politically motivated: the team also appeals to cartoon lovers by displaying the bitcoin symbol with characters like Mario and Ronald McDonald.
The Street Cy₿er team recently created a “bitcoin: The Art of Revolution” project based in Barcelona, Spain, which will host several exhibitions, workshops and classes for those who want to learn more about bitcoin.
“Announcing our new project!”https://t.co/yqpZNf6owr
Name: “bitcoin: The art of revolution
Location: Popular street art space in Barcelona, such as the Gothic Quarter or Poblenou.
Content: The exhibition will feature a variety of street art installations, digital art… https://t.co/1vEiwYfq8G pic.twitter.com/UhAFzYrfFO
— Calle CY₿ER (@streetcyber_) August 23, 2023
bitcoin logo around the world
bitcoin proponents have also been using other innovative ways to spread the cryptocurrency.
In March, a bitcoin logo reading “Study bitcoin” was projected at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, and at central banks in other countries such as the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
The projection came at a time when the global banking sector was under the spotlight following the crypto“>collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the United States.
I love the fact that it says “Study bitcoin” and not “Buy bitcoin“.
Logo projected on the ECB building in Frankfurt.
@artesince2010 pic.twitter.com/UtNNeFkFEI– Anita bitcoin for Equity (@AnitaPosch) March 30, 2023
Related: bitcoin has entered a civil war: over ‘art’
Another bitcoin logo shone on the Berliner Fernsehturm tower, Germany’s tallest building, a few months earlier in January. The German Bitcoiner behind the idea said that he wanted to draw attention to the cryptocurrency.
A spartan with eyes bearing the bitcoin logo, with the legend “HODL (Hold On for Dear Life)”, was seen by pedestrians in Hong Kong in 2020.
The art even received admiration from Tyler Winklevoss, CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Gemini.
bitcoin?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#bitcoin Street art in the heart of Hong Kong. HODL Spartans! pic.twitter.com/9EK8XOvnw4
—Tyler Winklevoss (@tyler) December 9, 2020
Some advocates have opted for simpler means to raise awareness. “Stuff4btc” has been spreading the message by placing stickers on chairs, tables and light poles in the public.
Sticker, sticker, sticker
New sticker pack
Of course, ONLY to pay with #sat above #Lightning o bitcoin?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#bitcoin In chain #bitcoinsolo #fckezb #bitcoinarulesthis #stickerbitcoin btc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#btc #healthymoney #hodl #stacksats #things4btc https://t.co/XwoccFdUTs pic.twitter.com/KckkcAEmvK
– things4btc (@things4btc) February 4, 2023
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