LAS VEGAS – April 17, 2025 – BTC Inc. today announced the return and expansion of its acclaimed art gallery for Bitcoin 2025, taking place May 27–29 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas. The immersive experience — featuring Rare, a $2 million diamond-embedded steak sculpture; an unprecedented exhibition of prison memorabilia from Ross Ulbricht; over 60 curated physical works; and a 30-foot inflatable digital dome dedicated to Ordinals — explores how Bitcoin is reshaping creative sovereignty, collector culture, and the value of art itself.
Titled “The Art of Freedom,” this year’s program reimagines the traditional art fair as a museum-scale exhibition built around Bitcoin’s ethos of ownership, autonomy, and permanence. The gallery serves as a cultural ledger, illustrating the shift away from traditional art world constraints toward models that allow artists to price their work in Bitcoin, retain more ownership, and connect directly with buyers and collectors.
Since its debut in 2019, the Bitcoin Conference Art Gallery has generated over 55 BTC in sales, fostering long-term relationships between artists and a global network of collectors, technologists, and cultural leaders. What began as a handful of folding tables has grown into a recurring cultural moment—one where artists return each year to present new work and reconnect with dedicated patrons.
“Each year we see artists reconnect with collectors who’ve been following their work across multiple shows,” said Dennis Koch, Art Gallery Director at BTC Inc. “This gallery has evolved into more than a showcase—it’s a recurring cultural exchange that keeps building on itself, reflecting a growing belief in Bitcoin as a creative foundation, not just a financial one.”
One of this year’s most anticipated works is “Rare”—a diamond-embedded steak sculpture valued at over $2 million—set to be showcased in a secure, concept-driven “vault” experience in the conference’s VIP zone. Marking the first time a single artwork of this magnitude has appeared at the event, the piece embodies the long-term discipline and value orientation often associated with Bitcoin itself. Its presence invites reflection on permanence, scarcity, and legacy in both art and money.
Following closely in significance is a powerful museum-scale exhibition and auction of prison memorabilia from Ross Ulbricht, founder of Silk Road. Occupying a dramatic 28×10-foot feature wall within The Art of Freedom, this highly curated display will present 13 deeply personal artifacts spanning Ulbricht’s life—many shown publicly for the first time.
The collection includes original prison IDs, the gray sweatpants and worn-out Nikes he wore while exiting prison, and three original artworks created during his incarceration. It also features intimate personal effects from before his arrest, including his camping sleeping bag, backpack, and beloved hand drum. Each item will be accompanied by interpretive quotes from Ulbricht and set against a custom-built wall graphic reflecting the central theme of creative and personal sovereignty.
This emotionally charged presentation invites reflection on incarceration, censorship, autonomy, and the philosophical cost of freedom in the digital age. Presented with museum-level care and narrative intent, it will serve as a historic focal point of the 2025 gallery. A ticketed Ross Ulbricht meet-and-greet luncheon is planned for May 29, coinciding with the final day of the exhibition and the conclusion of the auction.
Also featured onsite will be the return of the large green skull sculpture—a provocative, formerly controversial artwork that initially surfaced as a critique of Bitcoin and generated buzz across Twitter in 2024. The piece, which has since been privately acquired, will be formally donated to the Bitcoin Museum in Nashville, located at the headquarters of Bitcoin Magazine.
The broader gallery will showcase over 60 works, including sculptures, large-scale murals, and salon-style paintings priced between $10,000 and $45,000. Two towering 28-foot walls, emblazoned with “THE ART OF FREEDOM” in massive typographic relief, will anchor the space and visually reinforce the central theme. The exhibition blends first-time contributors with long-time gallery participants, many of whom have shown and sold work through the program for several consecutive years.
New for the 2025 exhibit is the Ordinals Dome, a curved LED installation highlighting digitally inscribed works on the Bitcoin blockchain. Curated in collaboration with the Inscribing Vegas satellite event, the Ordinals Dome will showcase 6–9 rare and highly sought-after works from leading artists in the space, presented as part of an exclusive auction. Additional Ordinal-inspired digital art will be featured throughout the dome’s immersive LED installation, offering a broader exploration of on-chain creativity beyond the auction itself. This activation places Bitcoin into direct conversation with contemporary debates around digital provenance, on-chain art, and inscription-based media.
To further support contributing artists, BTC Inc. has committed to a dedicated art acquisition fund, which last year supported over $50,000 in direct purchases. This model of sustainable patronage ensures creators benefit from institutional support while maintaining full ownership of their work.
“Bitcoin isn’t just building financial infrastructure—it’s building cultural infrastructure,” said David Bailey, CEO of BTC Inc. “Artists are among the first to understand the power of permanence, scarcity, and self-sovereignty. This gallery is about showing how those values play out visually and emotionally around the world.”
As part of the gallery’s interactive elements, a large-scale colorable mural by Los Angeles artist Brady Smith will invite attendees to contribute to a collaborative public artwork—reinforcing themes of openness, participation, and creative freedom.
Featuring artists from Los Angeles, the UK, Japan, Eastern Europe, South America, and beyond, the exhibition blends global perspectives with the growing creative energy of Las Vegas—one of North America’s fastest-rising cities for contemporary and public art. More information here: https://b.tc/conference/2025/art-gallery
About The Bitcoin Conference
The Bitcoin Conference, organized by BTC Media (parent company of Bitcoin Magazine), is a global event series featuring notable industry speakers, policymakers, workshops, exhibitions, and entertainment. These events serve as vital platforms for Bitcoin industry leaders, developers, investors, and enthusiasts to gather, network, and exchange ideas. The flagship event took place in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2024, and Bitcoin 2025 is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas in May 2025. Its international events include Bitcoin Asia (Hong Kong, August 2025), and Bitcoin MENA (Abu Dhabi, 2025 TBD).
