The original January 3, 2009 issue of The Times cited by Satoshi Nakamoto in Bitcoin’s genesis block is set to go up for public auction during Bitcoin 2026, scheduled for April 27 to 29 at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. The auction is being organized by the Bitcoin Museum and Art Gallery, or BMAG, and stands as the centerpiece of the group’s cultural program for the event.
According to the release, BMAG is the art and culture division of BTC Inc., a subsidiary of Nakamoto Inc. The exhibition area will cover 6,000 square feet and include four curated theme walls, dozens of auctions, a live painting session by Mear One, the debut of BMAG’s artist-in-residence program, and a slate of talks and reported features. BMAG said it has facilitated art sales worth more than 120 BTC since launch, all settled in bitcoin. At Bitcoin 2025, it recorded sales of 20.14 BTC.
Four exhibition tracks anchor the cultural program
One of the main sections, “Relics of a Revolution,” focuses on protest as a lasting expression inside Bitcoin culture. The display will feature Mear One protest posters created during the Gulf War and Occupy Wall Street period, Kolin Burges’ sign from his protest outside the Mt. Gox exchange in Tokyo, a framed version of the Satoshi Times newspaper, and Afroman’s American flag suit worn in court and in a music video. Bitcoin Magazine will also publish a three-part feature by Dennis Koch tied to the exhibit, and Koch is scheduled to host a live panel on viewing Bitcoin art through protest.
Another section, “Rare Pepes Did It First,” marks the tenth anniversary of Rare Pepes. BMAG presents the project as an early foundation for crypto-native art and digital collectibles, tracing how it fed into what later became the global NFT movement.
The “History of Bitcoin” installation will show large-format collectible prints produced by Smashtoshi. The series brings together 128 artists and 2,140 works, using visual storytelling and research-based material to map Bitcoin’s path from cypherpunk origins to global adoption. Its Genesis Editions are already available for preorder through Bitcoin 2026.
The event will also host a two-person exhibition featuring BMAG’s first artist-in-residence, Ksenia Buridanova, and Pepenardo. Pepenardo’s “MEMETIKRON” series is moving from BMAG’s Nashville museum debut to Las Vegas, while Buridanova’s residency is scheduled to continue across several international conferences in 2026 after her January solo show “Mysteria Memetica” in Nashville.
Auctions and on-site collectibles extend beyond the newspaper sale
Before the conference opens, collectors can enter the MEMETIKRON bounty for a chance to win a signed 1/1 original by Pepenardo. Raffle tickets will also be sold for a custom bitcoin poker chip set. On site, attendees will be able to use a Lucky Box vending machine stocked with Cardsmiths bitcoin redemption cards and limited packs, with TikTok live unboxings planned during the event.
Another highlighted lot is a bitcoin-themed guitar built by Tim Ronan. The instrument uses Bitcoin orange across the body and includes the full katakana rendering of “Satoshi Nakamoto,” with bidding set to begin at 1 BTC.
Bitcoin Week adds side events across Las Vegas
The wider “Bitcoin Week” program runs from April 26 to 29. Listed events include Women of Bitcoin Bash, the No Limit Hold’Em Poker Tournament, the Bitcoin for Corporations Symposium, PubKey Hotstyle Takeover, Whale Night, The Satos Awards, and official nightly parties at LIV Nightclub, Omnia, and TAO Nightclub.
Organizers are also planning a dedicated culture forum focused on art, media, philosophy, education, and social movements connected to Bitcoin. The release says registrations for Bitcoin 2026 have already passed 30,000, making it the largest edition of the conference series so far.