Share this article
'Buy Bitcoin' Sign Sold for Over $1M at Auction
Proceeds will go to fund the development of Bitcoin layer-2 lightning startup Tirrel Corp.
Updated Apr 25, 2024, 5:32âŻp.m. Published Apr 25, 2024, 7:07âŻa.m.
Make us preferred on Google
- The iconic 'Buy Bitcoin' sign that was held up behind Janet Yellen was sold at an auction for 16 BTC.
- Proceeds from the auction will go to fund a Bitcoin layer-2 startup called Tirrel Corp.
The iconic 'Buy Bitcoin' sign held behind Janet Yellen during her televised Congressional testimony in July 2017 has been auctioned off for 16 BTC, or just over $1 million.
Scarce.City, the auction house that facilitated the deal, said it was a record amount for the auction platform.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
And that's a wrap on one of the most ICONIC pieces of Bitcoin history. đđž
â Scarce.City (@scarcedotcity) April 24, 2024
Made a little history of our own ... meet the official new https://t.co/rNz9DWL5WE record. đ pic.twitter.com/3ixQmEHbd0
The auction itself was held at PubKey, a Bitcoin-themed bar in New York City.
Congratulations to Justin, A.K.A. Squirrekkywrath, winner of the #BitcoinSignGuy auction for 16 #BTC. đ@tpacchia Get this man a Whale! đł pic.twitter.com/DPpczcEzkJ
â PUBKEY (@PubKey_NYC) April 24, 2024
The signâs new owner is someone who goes by the handle of Squirrekkywrath, according to a tweet from PubKey.
Not much is known about its new owner. The head of research at Galaxy, Alex Thorn, said heâs a âbitcoin OG that no one has ever heard of.â
In a prior interview with CoinDesk, Christian Langalis, who held up the sign, said the proceeds would go to fund his startup, Tirrel Corp, which is developing a Bitcoin Lightning network wallet on Urbit.
After holding up the sign during a 2017 House Financial Services hearing, Langalis was escorted out of the building for violating committee rules â all the while, the image was going viral on the web.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoinâs activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoinâs role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Coinbase CEO says Big banks now view crypto as an âexistentialâ threat to their business
Brian Armstrong returns from World Economic Forum with message: traditional finance is taking crypto seriously
What to know:
- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said a top executive at one of the worldâs 10 largest banks told him crypto is now the bankâs ânumber one priorityâ and an âexistentialâ issue.
- At Davos, Armstrong highlighted tokenization of assets and stablecoins as major themes, arguing they could broaden access to investments for billions while threatening to bypass traditional banks.
- He described the Trump administration as the most crypto-forward government globally, backing efforts like the CLARITY Act, and predicted that AI agents will increasingly use stablecoins for payments outside conventional banking rails.
Top Stories
