Buy Bitcoin Meme Notebook Sold for $1 Million
A yellow notepad glimpsed at a 2017 Federal Reserve meeting with the phrase "Buy Bitcoin" written on it was sold at auction for $1 million.
The notepad with the inscription became a meme after it flashed behind then US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen during a congressional hearing in 2017. Christian Langalis, who was just then sitting behind Yellen, showed the notepad on camera. He was then removed from the room because it is illegal to display signs during the hearing.
At that point, his notepad went viral and caused Bitcoin to briefly rise nearly 4% to $2,418. The fate of the famous notepad turned out to be much more prosaic: all this time it was lying in a sock drawer. A few years later, Langalis decided to put the notepad with the inscription up for auction, emphasizing that he was happy to get rid of it.
Interestingly, the page with the inscription was torn out of the notebook after the congressional hearing, but it was eventually reattached using clear archival wire. The notebook also contains other notes, including some about monetary policy and Bitcoin.
The auction was held at the Scarce City site and lasted a full week. A buyer identifying himself as Squirrekkywrath gave 16 Bitcoins, or $1 million by current price, for the yellow notebook. Of that amount, Langalis will receive 13.6 Bitcoins. He later said he would use the proceeds to fund a Bitcoin software project.
Congratulations to Justin, A.K.A. Squirrekkywrath, winner of the #BitcoinSignGuy auction for 16 #BTC. 🏆@tpacchia Get this man a Whale! 🐳 pic.twitter.com/DPpczcEzkJ
— PUBKEY (@PubKey_NYC) April 24, 2024
The transfer of the lot took place at Pubkey Bar in New York City. Langalis personally handed the notebook to the winner of the auction.
