The contemporary art world and the expanding ecosystem of Bitcoin collectibles have intersected once again as the artist Pepenardo transforms six physical copies of Bitcoin Magazine’s 2036 Issue into original, hand-drawn artworks. Working directly on the covers with a Sharpie, the artist has infused the publication with signature motifs from his distinctive visual universe, bridging the worlds of high-end print publishing, physical fine art, and digital-era memorabilia.
Each of the six hand-altered editions features recognizable characters from Pepenardo’s recurring visual narrative, prominently including the Sleeping Knights. These figures were previously showcased to international audiences during the MEMETIKRON exhibition, which traveled from the BMAG Museum in Nashville to the Bitcoin 2026 conference floor in Las Vegas. Alongside the re-imagined Sleeping Knights, the hand-drawn covers incorporate other iconic figures from the artist’s repertoire, such as the masked rider of FAKEGENESIS, historical pioneer Dorian Nakamoto, and Pepe the Frog.
Beyond the customized cover art, each magazine features the artist’s signature directly on the illustrated front, complemented by an additional gold-ink signature on an interior spread that reproduces his notable painting, THE DREAMER. To complete the package, every customized magazine is paired with two original, one-of-one trading cards created specifically for the collaboration.
This latest project highlights BTC Inc.’s broader, ongoing commitment to fostering fine art, publishing, and rare collectibles. It builds directly upon the momentum generated by Pepenardo’s exhibition at Bitcoin 2026, where his large-scale oil paintings THE DREAMER (RED KNIGHT) and THE DREAMLESS (GREEN KNIGHT) served as the standout centerpieces of the BMAG live auction.
The two oil paintings, measuring 30 by 39.5 inches respectively, depict reclining knights clad in striking red and green armor, blending traditional historical portraiture with modern financial market commentary. The pieces generated intense bidding wars upon hitting the auction block, ultimately selling for 0.32698802 BTC—approximately $26,500 each—while attracting a combined total of 197 bids. The rich visual iconography of those paintings now echoes outward through Pepenardo’s newly released trading cards, which feature alternate colorways, remixed compositions, and hand-painted Creator Rare editions inspired by classic textile patterns.
Within a booming market for physical and digital trading cards, Pepenardo’s interdisciplinary approach effectively bridges traditional canvas painting and handheld collectibles, spaces where scarcity, provenance, and subtle variations ultimately dictate cultural and economic value. However, the artist’s relationship with this distinct collectible market stretches back well before the creation of the Sleeping Knights.
In 2023, his monumental painting FAKEGENESIS—a striking reinterpretation of Jacques-Louis David’s famous neoclassical work Napoleon Crossing the Alps, starring a masked rider atop a green horse—sold at the Bitcoin Conference in Miami for a substantial 1.625 BTC. Originally brought to life as a "Fake Rares" digital trading card in 2022, the composition quickly blossomed into an early milestone for physical Bitcoin art. It served as concrete proof of the rapidly growing appetite among collectors for physical artworks born directly from the rich soil of Bitcoin’s native meme culture.
FAKEGENESIS later found a permanent home on the back cover of Bitcoin Magazine, with high-quality prints made available to the public through the publication’s official store. Its recent return as a hand-drawn magazine cover marks the completion of a fascinating artistic trajectory, evolving step-by-step from an ephemeral trading card into a major oil painting, a printed mass-media reproduction, and finally back into an ultra-rare, original collectible.
Bitcoin Magazine itself commands a storied collecting history that dates back to its foundational first issue published in May 2012 by co-founders Mihai Alisie and Vitalik Buterin. At a prominent bitcoin gathering held in London in September 2012, seven physical copies of that inaugural issue were signed by more than 20 early pioneers of the cryptocurrency movement. One of those historic signed copies later attracted a winning bid of 7 BTC, though the buyer ultimately failed to complete the transaction or claim the magazine.
Even so, early issues of the publication have steadily matured into sought-after historical artifacts, with professionally graded copies and rare editions commanding fierce attention from dedicated collectors. In response to this surging demand, Bitcoin Magazine introduced the Genesis Box in 2023, a strictly limited edition of 21 comprehensive collector’s sets containing the publication’s first 22 issues, each carefully preserved within protective acrylic display cases.
Much like early avant-garde exhibition catalogs, first-edition literary books, and vintage concert posters, Bitcoin Magazine has cultivated a tangible value that extends far beyond its original intent as an informational periodical. Pepenardo’s customized covers push that tradition further, transforming individual issues into singular, one-of-one works of fine art.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Pepenardo shared insights into his creative process, his paintings, trading cards, and his deepening relationship with the publication.
"I couldn’t help but notice that welcoming blank space on the cover," Pepenardo explained when discussing how the project came together. "It seemed like an obvious place for a drawing. Coincidentally, I came into Bitcoin through watching the energy around trading cards on Counterparty, from 2016 all the way to the present. Hal Finney foreshadowed this ethos in his famous 1993 email titled ‘Crypto trading cards.’ Of course he was talking about digital collectibles, but the principle stays the same. Bitcoin’s history has a magnetic pull on collectibles; people want to hold on to a fragment of such an important modern history. When we look back fifty years from now, the content and the artifacts that came out of the movement will help future generations make sense of Bitcoin’s tremendous timeline."
Discussing the fluid transition of his characters—THE DREAMER and THE DREAMLESS—from oil canvases to magazine pages and rare trading cards, Pepenardo expressed astonishment at the market’s reception.
"I was shocked at how quickly they went. I have no words," he admitted. "But it certainly reinforces that what I’m attempting to create and build with my work has some value. Being able to use the trading cards as a way to remix the original works lets me enrich the life of each painting. The mediums are different—oil on canvas for the paintings, various print methods for the trading cards—but the tedious care that goes into executing both is the same."
Looking back at the watershed moment of FAKEGENESIS in Miami, Pepenardo emphasized the profound impact the work had on his trajectory as a creator.
"FAKEGENESIS will always be the pivotal work that showed me how I should properly approach my art. I knew that even before it sold. It is a painting that embeds the tropes of Bitcoin’s ethos without being too obvious. Art within the context of Bitcoin shouldn’t have to throw a big B at you all the time; it should give you the fiery sensation of standing inside a new history being built. My hope is that it is remembered as a work that represents an entire movement—onwards and upwards."
Mark Mason, Head of Media at Bitcoin Magazine, elaborated on the publication’s enduring historical significance and the forces driving its expanding collector market.
"For over a decade, Bitcoin Magazine has documented the evolution of Bitcoin, from its early technical developments to the people and culture surrounding it," Mason noted. "We see each physical issue as a time capsule, capturing a particular moment in Bitcoin’s journey toward hyperbitcoinization. One of the biggest factors driving their collectible value is that we never reprint past editions. Each issue has a limited print run, creating a finite supply that has made early editions, graded copies, and signed covers increasingly sought after by collectors."
Mason added that the publication’s synthesis of art and journalism reflects the nature of the asset it covers. "Bitcoin has always existed at the intersection of technology, economics, and culture. Artist-customized covers like Pepenardo’s take that relationship a step further, transforming an already collectible publication into an original artwork. It’s an extension of what Bitcoin Magazine has become: both a record of Bitcoin’s history and an artifact of that history itself."
Pepenardo’s custom magazine covers and accompanying trading card sets sold out swiftly following their official launch, with all six unique editions securing homes among dedicated collectors. However, additional works by the artist remain accessible to the public, including MASTER CUTS OUT THE STONE (after Hemessen), the central masterpiece from his MEMETIKRON collection that previously traveled from the BMAG Museum in Nashville to the Bitcoin 2026 conference in Las Vegas.
Art enthusiasts and collectors can also acquire FAKEGENESIS prints alongside the Genesis Box collector’s sets through the official online stores, preserving the foundational years of the publication’s print run spanning from 2012 to 2014.
The Bitcoin Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG) continues to curate international exhibitions, live auctions, and innovative artist collaborations that investigate the deep cultural implications of Bitcoin. Current collectors can explore available works from Curtis William Readel’s exhibition Paper Money, alongside a diverse array of fine art prints, original pieces, and curated physical collectibles.
BMAG is scheduled to return for Bitcoin Amsterdam, taking place from November 4 through November 6, 2026, showcasing a lineup of European artists examining themes of money, state power, and decentralized finance. Further insights into these cultural intersections can be found in the publication’s recent features, The Architecture of Money and The Undercurrent.
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