Environmental group Greenpeace’s latest salvo against Bitcoin (BTC) is creating artwork to highlight its climate impact. However, the artwork has been widely praised by Bitcoiners, who want to use it as a mascot.
On March 23, a group of climate activists teamed up with art activist Benjamin Von Wong for a “change the code, not the climate” campaign to transform Bitcoin’s consensus mechanism into a proof-of-stake (PoS) model.
Greenpeace unveiled a work of art dubbed the “Skull of Satoshi” – an 11-foot (3.3-meter) tall skull with the Bitcoin logo and red laser eyes – a popular meme adopted by Bitcoin supporters.
Some climate activists think so #Bitcoin only fake internet money they can safely ignore.
The truth? Bitcoin causes dangerous real-world pollution due to massive consumption of fossil fuels, all because of outdated code.
The solution? #Change Code pic.twitter.com/7wa7BMCzV5
– Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) March 23, 2023
A “stack of cigarettes” sits atop the skull, which is made from recycled electronic waste, supposedly to represent the “fossil fuel and coal pollution” caused by Bitcoin mining and the “millions of computers” used to validate network transactions.
Greenpeace’s marketing efforts took an unexpected turn when Bitcoin supporters expressed their admiration for the artwork, with some adopting it as a quasi-mascot.
NEW: #Bitcoin it causes massive amounts of pollution and has been a major obstacle in our struggle to phase out fossil fuels. So we are together with @thevonwong to create these giants with laser eyes to help us increase awareness and spark change.
WATCH and SHARE: pic.twitter.com/Av0IORyV5b
– Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) March 23, 2023
Will Foxley, director of media strategy at crypto miner Compass Mining, called the artwork “badass” and changed his Twitter profile picture to an image of Satoshi’s Skull.
So badass to be honest pic.twitter.com/z68XVws6by
— Will Foxley (@wsfoxley) March 24, 2023
Co-founder of Coin Metrics Nic Carter tweeted on March 24 that the art is “the most metal Bitcoin artwork to date.”
related: Work spirit: Bitcoin’s move to proof-of-stake remains impossible
Meanwhile, others took issue with the imagery Greenpeace chose, with one Twitter user saying the plume of smoke on the skull’s head resembled a nuclear cooling tower spewing steam.
They are now destroying nuclear energy? This is a nuclear cooling tower that emits water vapor. pic.twitter.com/pJdhFgoeOC
— magic internet money maker (@notgrubles) March 23, 2023
The Greenpeace campaign was launched about a year ago along with other climate groups and Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen.
It aims to pressure Bitcoin developers, miners and governments, and claims 30 “key” entities can move Bitcoin from proof of work if they agree to the change.
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