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I’m selling my MtGox protest sign! After the protests, I stored it in a suitcase and left it undisturbed for 10 years. It has now been framed, along with a replica. You can message me on X (https://x.com/The_K_meister) or email me (kolin.burges@gmail.com) with any questions. Happy bidding!..... Kolin
The "MtGox Where is our money?" sign was the key symbol used in the protest which accelerated the collapse of MtGox in Tokyo in 2014. MtGox was the largest bitcoin exchange in the world, processing 70-80% of the world's bitcoin trading volume. The protest was heavily featured in the international mainstream news, becoming one of the top global stories of the time. It ran for 2 weeks until the deafening media and political pressure forced MtGox into admitting their losses and shutting down.
The MtGox collapse was arguably the most catastrophic event to happen in bitcoin - resulting in the loss of 7% of the world's bitcoin and creating political waves in Japan and around the globe. This MtGox protest sign has been featured in virtually every major news publication in the world. It has been photographed and filmed thousands of times and surely remains the most iconic and influential physical artefact from bitcoin's history.
The full story of the MtGox protest is here: http://mtgoxprotest.com/history
View the CoinDesk article here: https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/03/28/iconic-mt-gox-where-is-our-money-sign-is-up-for-auction
A 1% deposit of the bid amount is required to make bids.
The sign evolved during the protest. The initial handwritten sign was papered over with a printed version after the first couple of days. The idea was to make it look more professional as more and more media was getting involved. The original handwriting can still be seen faintly beneath. I later scrolled the text “mtgoxprotest.com” on top in the heat of the protest to direct viewers to the website. I made a replica of the original handwritten sign, hand-drawn, signed and framed, to include in the package.
The reverse side (not visible while inside the frame) shows "MtGox Where is our money?" written in Japanese, as shown in the last picture. This was sometimes used to show to the Japanese media. The condition of this side has seen an obvious degree of deterioration through use.
The sign has some wear and tear on the front as seen in the pictures, especially at the bottom edge. It is structurally solid. Nearly all of the wear and tear is part of its history in the protest. It was often rested with its base edge on the pavement, as well as carried around in a backpack. It also had to deal with the occasional Tokyo snow and rain, though it was generally wrapped in transparent plastic at those times. After the protest ended it was kept undisturbed in a suitcase for 10 years. There is also the occasional small stain mark.
The auction seller, Kolin Burges (https://x.com/The_K_meister) is the original creator of the sign and is pictured holding it during the MtGox protests. Interested bidders are invited to DM him on X or email him with any specific questions. He created the sign on 14th February 2014 to begin the MtGox protests.
1x Framed 2014 original MtGox protest sign
1x Framed replica MtGox protest sign
Starting Reserve Price: 3 BTC
Auction ends Wednesday, April 9 at 15 UTC (11am EST)
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