Size: 50x50cm
Materials: Acrylic paint on canvas
Description:
The painting shows a pruned bonsai shaped into the “sats” symbol, the smallest unit of Bitcoin. This subtle form keeps its meaning hidden from the uninitiated while being instantly recognizable to Bitcoiners, making it an OPSEC Bitcoin art piece.
The bonsai symbolizes patience and discipline, reflecting the steady process of stacking sats over time. The minimalist, Japanese-inspired setting with its circular window hints at the origin of Satoshi’s pseudonym. His name appears on the pot beside the Buddhist symbol for happiness.
in private collection
"The best day to stack sats was 15 years ago, the second best day is now"
After finishing the whale, I wanted to create a second OPSEC Bitcoin painting. I liked the idea of hiding the lesser-known sats symbol within the piece, and chose a bonsai tree as the motif — a symbol of patience and slow growth, matching the idea of steadily stacking sats until reaching financial freedom.
The first version was quite small, and I gave it to a friend. A year later, while on vacation in Vietnam, I saw many bonsai trees and felt inspired to create a new version. Around that time, Fractal posted about a gallery in El Salvador accepting submissions. As soon as I got home, I started painting, trying to meet the submission deadline.
I didn’t quite make it on time, but I managed to submit a nearly finished work-in-progress photo. The piece was accepted, finished in time for shipping, and after a long stay in El Salvadorian customs, it arrived just in time for the Adopting Bitcoin Conference in El Salvador in 2024.