Thread by @pete_rizzo_

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 ✨