This is Andrey.
In 2010, he sold stick figures for $3 million in #Bitcoin.
The price was $0.50.
The Untold Story of 'Shazow': the unknown artist who kickstarted the $2.2 trillion crypto economy 🔥
1/ In 2010, Andrey sold drawings for #Bitcoin
It all started when someone on the forums offered to pay for an image of “a stick figure sending bitcoins.”
He made this sketch under the handle 'Shazow' and earned 1 $BTC
2/ Back then, #Bitcoin users WANTED to spend their coins
Over the coming weeks, Shazow made OVER 55 BTC –– worth over $3 million today...
But that’s not the best part of this story…
3/ All this happened weeks before the 1st #Bitcoin bull run
The price surged to an all-time high above $30
Shazow quickly made 3,502% in profit
4/ But Shazow wasn’t in it for the money.
Back then, #Bitcoin users didn’t know if the network would work
Today, Shazow calls it all a “fascinating experiment…” Brilliant people were uniting to end fiat money
5/ One user asked Shazow to draw a “cyborg crypto-anarchist riding an alpaca" for 2.13 BTC.
He requested the rider hold a flag with ‘A3’ on it
A3 stands for Assessment, Assembly, Action. It was a meme used by cypherpunks who wanted to change the world.
6/ Next, Shazow started a fundraiser
He wanted to turn his hand drawn stick figure into vector art.
Forum users raised 21 $BTC for him in just 1 week.
7/ Soon, the requests were pouring in
Users started asking for more difficult drawings – like one explaining Bitcoin's cryptography
Shazow said this was his most difficult drawing – but it earned him more $BTC
8/ Another asked him to draw #Bitcoin developer – Gavin Andresen
He pictured Gavin burning fiat currency with a flamethrower
He called it "The Gavinator”
🛑 DON'T RISK LOSING YOUR BITCOIN 🛑
Here's why Rizzo uses a self-custody service to help him manage his generational wealth
9/ Here’s Shazow’s drawing of #Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto
He’s having a gun fight with Fed chair Ben Bernanke
This drawing earned him 2.14 BTC
10/ Another request was for a drawing of #Bitcoin fighting the state
Shazow wanted to show crypto was impossible to stop
This picture earned him 5 $BTC
11/ Others wanted more peaceful images
In one drawing, Shazow was asked to show how #Bitcoin might peacefully coexist with fiat currencies
This drawing earned him 2 $BTC
12/ Some wanted Shazow to promote their own personal projects
One user asked for a drawing of his band’s name
For this drawing, he earned 20 $BTC. The band is still playing today
13/ Another wanted to show him and his bandmates rocking out
This drawing earned him 3 #Bitcoin
But here's the most legendary part of this entire story…
15/ Andrey still HODLs the #Bitcoin he earned from his art
That makes him one of the longest active holders ever
Today, he’s still making art for fun
A silent early legend ✨
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