Cryptarch: Puzzle with a prize in bitcoin

Marguerite de Kurzel, known as Coin Artist, creates paintings in the genre of "crypto-art": they are hidden puzzles, the solution of which opens access to the private key to the address with the cryptocurrency. The most famous painting is called Torched H34R7S-this is the last work of the series "the Legend of Satoshi Nakamoto" (about how the puzzle was solved, read this article).
Crypto-art for Kurzel began in 2015 with a picture of Dark Wallet Puzzle, which depicted Cody Wilson and Amir Taaki, crypto-archers and co-authors of the eponymous wallet, against the background of a puzzle with an encrypted address (the puzzle is solved). Reward — 3,4 bitcoin. "I wrote it after I realized the principle of the money that can be" taken" from almost anything without intermediaries, " says Kurzel.

Until recently, such works were known only to a small number of crypto-enthusiasts. Now they can be seen in galleries and video games. Collectors buy these works even after the mystery is solved.
This spring, the artist Andy Bauh exhibited a collection of mosaics called "New money" in Castelli Art Space (Los Angeles). The patterns of thousands of Lego blocks were encrypted keys to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. "I got interested in this because of the volatility of cryptocurrencies and how much art is seemingly arbitrarily valued," says Bauch. "What will be the cryptocurrency that I invested in this mosaic? Mosaic will themselves be valued regardless of cryptocurrency?"Three of his works were sold-one of them for $14 000 (coins hidden in one of them, someone took). Bauh posted photos of the works on his website — everyone can view and try to solve them.
In January, Kurzel founded a computer game development company called Blockade Games. In March, the company launched a website with puzzles called Pineapple Arcade, deciding that you can get a prize for a total of more than 17.5 bitcoins and 15 ethers. At the end of this year, the company has already raised $833 000 at an estimate of $ 13 million.
Kurzel, who received a master of arts degree from the University of Oregon, finished the final part of the series "the Legend of Satoshi Nakamoto" when she was left alone with two small children in a rented room in a friend's house. Four months she worked on the picture at night in between freelancing. At that time, she managed to sell a picture of Dark Wallet Puzzle for 10 bitcoins (about $3000 at the time). Bitcoin investor Brooke Royce-Mullers, who bought the painting, says she " wanted to buy part of the story," and the painting itself helped her "learn more about the technology."
Kurzel claims that for Torched H34R7S she was offered $1 million, adding that"the picture still should be sold."
Based on Bloomberg