Argentina central bank exhibits live Bitcoin mining with art

The Central Bank of Argentina (BCRA) has unveiled a unique exhibition that combines Bitcoin mining within an art display, marking a global first for central banks.

Opened on October 31 at the BCRA’s Historical Museum, the exhibit, titled “Art, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of the Economy,” showcases works by artist Alberto Echegaray, who explores digital and crypto art.

Echegaray’s prominent piece, “Moneyballs,” features spheres filled with shredded U.S. dollars from the U.S. Treasury and surplus Argentine pesos, symbolising the shift from physical to digital money.

“For the first time we are going to find in a museum of a Central Bank, Bitcoin and Ethereum coins,” Echegaray stated.

“Towards decentralised systems, which have a close link with artificial intelligence,” he added, is the exhibit's aim to reveal the shift in financial and monetary systems.

Incorporating live cryptocurrency mining rigs within the artwork, the exhibition invites viewers to contemplate the role of digital currencies and the ongoing shift in economic structures.

By integrating operational crypto mining within an art space, the BCRA seeks to foster public discussion on the transition from physical money to digital and decentralised financial systems.

The exhibition also challenges traditional perceptions of currency by connecting digital assets to live financial data, encouraging visitors to consider the evolution of money’s role in society.

“If we talk about dollars, less than 10% are printed; the rest is completely digital,” Echegaray noted, adding that while physical currency remains common in Argentina.