The gallery, a fusion of technology and art, where “dry lines of code are elevated into emotions”, traces the history of blockchain, from its nascent stages to global surge, encompassing bitcoin and the broader universe of digital assets.
Satoshi Nakamoto's statue Blockchain Gallery in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)
The Vietnam Blockchain Association (VBA) teamed up with the 1Matrix company to open Blockchain Gallery in Hanoi on September 9, marking Vietnam’s first-ever exhibition entirely devoted to blockchain technology and digital assets.
VBA Vice Chairwoman and General Secretary Nguyen Van Hien described the gallery as a fusion of technology and art, where “dry lines of code are elevated into emotions”. The exhibition traces the history of blockchain, from its nascent stages to global surge, encompassing bitcoin and the broader universe of digital assets. The narrative is brought to life through oil paintings, enhanced by artificial intelligence and crafted by young artists affiliated with the VBA.
In a parallel unveiling, the VBA introduced Vietnam’s Satoshi statue, the fifth such monument globally, joining tributes in Hungary, Switzerland, El Salvador, and Japan. The statue, an emblem of decentralisation and innovation, honours Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of bitcoin.
Designed by Italian artist Valentina Picozzi, the Vietnamese rendition features a striking vanishing effect: the figure is visible from the side but fades when viewed head-on, mirroring Satoshi Nakamoto's retreat from public life after founding bitcoin. Picozzi spent 21 months on perfecting the design, imbued it with the ethos of decentralisation that pulses through bitcoin’s culture.
Phan Duc Trung, Chairman of both VBA and 1Matrix, announced that the Blockchain Gallery and Satoshi statue will be permanently housed at 1Matrix’s headquarters in Hanoi’s Times City apartment complex. The venue will open to the public every Saturday, with plans to replicate the model nationwide to engage Vietnam’s growing Web3 community and demystify blockchain for the broader public.
Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity remains one of technology’s enduring enigmas, published the bitcoin white paper in 2008 to outline a decentralised digital currency. After mining the first block in January 2009, he ceased public communication by late 2010, a move widely seen as preserving bitcoin’s leaderless ethos. Beyond creating a trillion-dollar asset, his innovation sparked a financial revolution, redefining contracts, data storage, and transactions worldwide.
On the occasion, the VBA launched the Vietnam Digital Asset Investment Club. Its mission is three-fold: fostering transparency in digital asset markets, offering education and information sharing, and connecting investors, producers, and regulators to build a safe, transparent, and reliable ecosystem for digital assets.
The moves align with Vietnam’s broader policy goals, including the Politburo’s Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in sci-tech development, innovation, and digital transformation, the Resolution 68 on the private sector development, and the Prime Minister’s decision on strategic technology development./.