World’s first Central Bank exhibit on Bitcoin mining debuts in Argentina
Exploring the shift from cash to decentralized assets, the exhibit merges art, innovation, and technology
BCRA—the Central Bank of Argentina—launched a groundbreaking exhibit showcasing Bitcoin mining equipment at its Héctor Carlos Janson Historical and Numismatic Museum.
According to Infobae, Argentine artist Alberto Echegaray Guevara, the exhibit's creator, shared, “We developed the exhibition with the Central Bank. It’s about showing different types of currencies and the shift from paper money to technology-driven systems.” Echegaray Guevara, who describes himself as a crypto artist, added that "for the first time, we will find Bitcoin and Ethereum coins in a Central Bank museum," noting how financial systems are moving towards decentralized models increasingly linked with artificial intelligence.
Alongside displays of destroyed physical money, the exhibit features functional mining hardware that has generated over 3,000 ETH and 250 BTC in the last three years—making Argentina’s Central Bank the first known to display such equipment in a museum setting.
Entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano, founder of Professional Capital Management, highlighted the novelty of the event on X, stating that this is "the first central bank in the world... to be openly mining Bitcoin."
The central bank of Argentina opened an "art exhibit" yesterday that includes bitcoin mining equipment actively mining bitcoin.
— Anthony Pompliano 🌪 (@APompliano) November 1, 2024
This is the first central bank in the world I am aware of to be openly mining bitcoin.
The future is coming very fast. pic.twitter.com/9mHEB9P0YP
The exhibit also includes works by pioneering generative artists from the 1960s, such as Miguel Angel Vidal, Julio Le Parc, and Gyula Kosice, whose creations explored the role of computational power in art. Organizers hope to inspire visitors to consider the transition from physical money to digital assets and the role of cryptocurrencies in reshaping financial systems.
Running until March 2025, this exhibit merges art, innovation, and technology, marking a unique dialogue on the future of money.
