matthias dörfelt algorithmically interprets bitcoin as a paper currency

bitcoin has grown massively in worth since the first transaction was made with the cashless currency back in 2010 with two pizzas costing 10,000 BTC. in june 2017, the unit reached its all time value of 3000 USD. influenced by bitcoin’s popularity, artist matthias dörfelt has designed a series of 64 bank notes that imagine what the cyber money might look like in physical form. to create the series-titled block bills-dörfelt designed an algorithm to create colorful graphics, unique to every block. dörfelt picked 64 blocks at random from the bitcoin blockchain to demonstrate the idea, using each block’s individual ‘hash’ number.

instead of each note displaying how much it is worth, dörfelt’s bitcoin banknotes show a number that represents how many times that particular block has been transferred in a given period. the notes are each signed with the name ‘satoshi’–the inventor of the cyber currency. the colorful patterns on the notes are entirely generated by code, and just like no two bitcoin hash numbers are the same, each bitcoin banknote is equally unique.

each design also shows a geometric, shadowy interpretation of a face, where most notes would feature the face of an important monarch. the face hints towards not only the anonymity of its creator, but also the anonymity it grants those spending and receiving it in a dark nod towards some of its illegal uses on the web.