The “Buy Bitcoin” sign that became a viral sensation during a congressional hearing in 2017 has banked over $1 million. The hastily-drawn sign scrawled on yellow legal pad photobombed Janet Yellen, then the Federal Reserve chair, while she was giving testimony before the House Financial Services Committee. It immediately made the rounds on social media.
Christian Langalis, who was working at the Cato Institute at the time, became known as the “Buy Bitcoin Guy” after the stunt. The Scarce City auction for the sign took place at PubKey — a Bitcoin-themed bar in New York City — and sold for $1.032 million on Wednesday.
JUST IN: This "Buy Bitcoin" sign sold for more than $1 Million today. pic.twitter.com/38wKXvM8Fq
— Bitcoin Archive (@BTC_Archive) April 25, 2024
“When Bitcoiners ask me about the sign, I tell them, ‘You’d have done the same in my seat.’ Yes, only I attended the hearing, drew the sign, and flashed it for the camera. However, it was the network spirit which seized the image and fabricated the memes. The full poetry of the stunt was far beyond my devising, therefore, my attitude can only be one of post-authorship,” says Langalis in a statement. “Bitcoin was massively rupturing into the halls of institutional finance in 2017. Any Bitcoiner worth their sats would have told you so. It’s good to finally liberate this number from my sock drawer and offer it back to the Bitcoin public.”
Congratulations to Justin, A.K.A. Squirrekkywrath, winner of the #BitcoinSignGuy auction for 16 #BTC. 🏆@tpacchia Get this man a Whale! 🐳 pic.twitter.com/DPpczcEzkJ
— PUBKEY (@PubKey_NYC) April 24, 2024
On top of the sign, the winning bidder also received the original yellow legal notepad containing notes on the hearing, monetary policy, Bitcoin, and a rough draft of the sign.
Langalis, who was removed from the hearing after holding up the sign, previously told CoinDesk he will use the auction earnings to fund his Bitcoin startup.