Damien Hirst begins accepting Bitcoin for paintings

On February 26, 2021, Damien Hirst, the renowned British artist, began accepting Bitcoin as payment for his art. This marked a significant moment in the intersection of art and bitcoin, reflecting Hirst’s embrace of the digital currency movement.
 

Hirst released a series of eight prints called “The Virtues,” inspired by the samurai code of bushidō, each representing different virtues like Justice, Courage, Mercy, and Politeness. For the first time, he offered these prints for sale in exchange for cryptocurrency, stating on Instagram, “I love art and I love the crypto world and I am happy and proud to put my belief into Bitcoin
and Ether and accept them for this drop.” The prints were priced at $3,000 each and were available for purchase until March 3, 2021.