A short reflection on the role of art in Bitcoin and in human history, an idea we tried to capture in the film we premiered at last year's WoB.
Art is intrinsic to being human.
Before writing, we painted.
Before empires, we told stories.
Before money, we created symbols that carried ideas from one generation to the next.
Over time, art became more than a way of telling stories.
It also began to define what a society considered valuable.
The great civilizations didn't just build walls and armies.
They built temples, sculptures, paintings, and libraries.
They understood that culture is also a form of power.
Money shares the same origin.
After all, money is nothing more than a shared symbol—one that only works because millions of people believe in it.
Art, language, and money all emerge from the same uniquely human ability:
To create meaning.
That's why it doesn't surprise me that Bitcoin has inspired so much art.
Bitcoin doesn't just offer a new way to think about money.
It invites us to reflect on time, freedom, property, truth, and responsibility.
It's only natural that artists are drawn to those ideas.
Making a living through art has never been easy.
For centuries, patrons understood that supporting artists meant investing in the legacy of a civilization.
Bitcoin also needs people who can translate its ideas into images, music, sculpture, literature, film... and memes.
Because ideas need people who can make them visible.
So I'd like to make an invitation.
To Bitcoiners.
To event organizers.
To the companies building this ecosystem.
Let's make more room for art.
Not as an extra, but as an essential part of the culture we're building.
If Bitcoin is only a technological revolution, then writing code will be enough.
But if it's also a cultural revolution, we'll need artists who can inspire future generations.
Code explains how Bitcoin works.
Art explains why it matters.
Civilizations aren't remembered for the size of their armies, but for the beauty of the ideas they turned into art.
At WoB, we'll once again dedicate a space to art in 2026.
And we'd love for it to be even bigger.
That will only happen if more companies, more events, and more Bitcoiners choose to support the artists shaping Bitcoin's culture.
I hope we won't be the only ones.
The more spaces we create, the richer the culture we'll leave to those who come after us.
Thank you to our last year sponsors, thank you to every artist who took part last year, and to those joining us this year.
We'll keep making room for art, because a revolution that doesn't create culture is unlikely to change the world. 🧡
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