A Ukrainian project group has erected a statue of Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous founder of Bitcoin, in the virtual reality (VR) of a mobile app they have developed. The plan is to construct a network of virtual cities around such statues and ultimately establish a global “Satoshi Nakamoto Republic.” The monument can be seen on smartphones pointed at the empty pedestal in central Kiev where the imposing statue of Lenin used to stand for decades before it was toppled by protesters in 2013.
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Virtual Satoshi Can Be Seen Through a
Mobile App and VR Glasses
The new Satoshi Nakamoto monument now greets residents and guests of the Ukrainian capital at the intersection of Taras Shevchenko Boulevard and Kreschatik Street, right across from the landmark Bessarabsky market. Those who have downloaded and installed the Satoshi Nakamoto Republic app, already available for Android and iOS devices, can enjoy a 360-view of the statue and take a selfie in front of it. In the app, they’ll see a three-headed virtual figure with a Robocop-style bottom half and a politically correct top half representing different genders and races. It has a Bitcoin symbol stamped on its bare chest and Vitalik Buterin’s face tattooed on the back.
The statue was inaugurated after a colorful procession through the streets of Kiev, with supporters waving the sky-blue banners of the republic and holding signs reading “Return the Rate of $20,000 for One Bitcoin” and “We Want Pension in Bitcoin.” The digital Nakamoto didn’t look too outlandish in the company of some of the characters in the crowd — yes, Santa Claus was there, too.
During the opening ceremony, Alexander Soroka, founder of the Satoshi Nakamoto Republic, spoke
