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Bitcoin Sign Guy Nets over 6 BTC for Viral Photobomb

Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:58 PM
Francisco Memoria
Last Updated March 4, 2021 4:58 PM

The bitcoin community is abuzz with a new viral video in which a mysterious man photobombed U.S. Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen with a legal pad that read “Buy Bitcoin”. At the time, Janet Yellen was testifying in Congress and the mysterious man, now known as “Bitcoin Sign Guy” was merely a few feet away from her. He hijacked a central banker’s spotlight to promote the people’s money, and that turned him into a hero.

The video quickly went viral, and it wasn’t just enjoyed by bitcoin enthusiasts. Various media outlets, including CNBC, tweeted the video to their followers:

Soon after Bitcoin Sign Guy’s video went viral, it was revealed that a cryptocurrency trader dubbed “CryptoEthan” on Twitter knows him. In a new photo with the sign, the mysterious man shared his bitcoin address and, soon enough, donations started pouring in. At press time, Bitcoin Sign Guy raised 6.87948688 BTC  (about $14,000) in bitcoin donations, according to data from Blockchain.info. We won’t share the photo here, as per CryptoEthan’s words Bitcoin Sign Guy doesn’t want to be doxed.

Nevertheless, he still has potential to make a lot more money. On Twitter, various bitcoiners decided to put his pad up for auction , and so far the highest bid is of 2.6 BTC, should Bitcoin Sign Guy decide to sell his legal pad. Some users even offered to buy his tie.

Bitcoin Sign Guy, later on, visited the non-profit advocacy group CoinCenter, and took a picture with his notepad – which could be worth over $5,000, should he decide to sell – with a note saying “donate to CoinCenter.” Users who would like to remember the event and keep a souvenir can even buy a “Buy Bitcoin” shirt .

This isn’t the first time a bitcoiner gets paid for waving a sign on TV. Back in 2013, a college kid waved a “Hi mom send bitcoin” sign on ESPN with a QR code in it. Reddit users managed to enhance the QR code from their screens and identify his wallet. Soon enough, he started receiving bitcoin donations – and made over $20,000 .

Watch out for Scams

Bitcoin Sign Guy’s video went viral and his photo, with his bitcoin address, was shared numerous times. The original one, tweeted out by his friend CryptoEthan has been deleted. Nevertheless, scammers are trying to share photoshopped versions of the picture, in which they include their own address.

If you would like to donate to bitcoin sign guy, his original address is: 1GwtZF9QFKWNqCRHLx1Y9adGcrhQSUnNfY .

Featured image from YouTube.