How two Dutch brothers accidentally started making 10kg Bitcoin sculptures because their artist mom wasn’t into crypto
Picture this: Christmas dinner in the Netherlands. Erik Vlaswinkel turns to his mother, a professional bronze sculptor, and says, “Why don’t you make Bitcoin art?”
Her response? “Why don’t you do it yourself?”
And that’s how Bitcoin Design (@bitcoindesign.nl) was born - not in some grand studio or with venture capital, but at a family dinner table with a mom who basically told her son to stop talking and start doing.
“ My mother is not really into Bitcoin, so she was not really that enthusiastic. That’s why she said, why don’t you do it yourself?
Meet Erik and Mark Vlaswinkel. Two Dutch brothers who turned their mom’s "do it yourself” challenge into a bronze Bitcoin business.
Their secret weapon? Mom’s a professional sculptor who knows ancient bronze casting techniques. She wasn’t into Bitcoin (she is now), but she had the knowledge. The brothers had the conviction.
Now they’re the only ones making Bitcoin sculptures in a Dutch conference scene full of paintings.
“ We really wanted to feel how big it should be and how the depth of the different parts of our art.
They didn’t just jump into bronze. First came wooden prototypes, laser-cut to test sizes and depths. Only when they found the perfect dimensions did they head to a bronze foundry.
The process: wooden prototypes → hand casting at a bronze foundry → personal polishing and finishing → mounting on Belgian limestone pedestals → realizing it weighs 10kg and wondering how the hell to ship it.
” People are proud of the idea of Bitcoin and they want to show that they support Bitcoin… because Bitcoin of course is digital, it’s not something you can hold.
Their customers? Companies making statements. Home enthusiasts who want physical Bitcoin. Conference organizers who keep inviting them for free because they’re the only sculpture makers in a sea of paintings.
The kicker? Most sales happen at exhibitions where people can actually feel the weight. “People always underestimate how heavy these are,” Erik notes. Online photos don’t convey the impact of a 10kg bronze Bitcoin landing on your desk.
“ We don’t really do this to sell as much as possible. We do it more for fun… it’s nice to work with family and to have like a project together.
Let’s be real here. Erik works in IT, Mark helps young people with mental health. Bitcoin Design is their side project, and they’re not pretending otherwise.
Why? It’s about family and fun, not maximizing profits. Bitcoin markets are cyclical ("Sometimes nobody is interested, then everyone is enthusiastic”). They want balance, not burnout. Started in 2020, they’ve seen the waves.
Erik’s ideal future? Maybe work one less day at the job, one more day making art with his brother. That’s it. No “we’re going to disrupt the art world” bullshit.
“ I don’t always support the policy of the governments and the EU… They are printing more money and that’s why you have quite high inflation.
Living in the Netherlands, they see Bitcoin differently than Americans might. Inflation is real, even in the "fiscally responsible” Netherlands. EU interconnection means if France falls, Netherlands feels it. COVID showed them governments will print endlessly, and now everyone pays. “People realize they get more controlled,” Erik observes.
The brothers aren’t anarchists. They’re just two guys who watched their government print money during COVID and thought, “Maybe there’s a better way.”
“ Because it’s decentralized, we can make this statue actually. Otherwise, there were a lot of… there’s no copyright. So that’s the good part.
Here’s something most artists don’t talk about: Bitcoin’s logo has no copyright. No licensing fees. No lawyers. No cease and desist letters.
You want to cast a 10kg bronze Bitcoin? Go ahead. Nobody owns it. That’s the point.
What they actually make: Bronze sculptures in three sizes (desk, medium, XXL). Glass pieces with melted glass Bitcoin art (more hand work, less material cost). Custom engravings like the date someone bought their first Bitcoin.
Sales numbers after 5 years? 30-40 pieces total.
That’s not a typo. They’re not moving thousands of units. They’re making art, piece by piece, while working full-time jobs.
” Don’t go too fast. Do it because you really believe in it… Bitcoin goes really in waves. That makes it sometimes hard if you really would like to live from the art.
Their advice is refreshingly honest: Keep your day job (seriously). Expect waves where nobody’s interested for months. Do it for conviction, not quick money. Time commitment varies wildly - more during exhibitions, less when life gets busy. Start with family or friends if possible - makes the journey better.
“ Maybe El Salvador or something… they would like to have a really big sculpture somewhere over there. That would be nice.
When asked about dreams, they don’t talk about galleries in New York or million-dollar sales. They want to see their sculpture in El Salvador, where Bitcoin is actually money, not just an investment.
Maybe gift one to Bukele. Maybe have it in a public square. Simple dreams from guys who aren’t trying to be the next Banksy.
Remember the mom who wasn’t into Bitcoin?
” She’s also a fan right now. We made her a fan.
Mission accomplished, boys.
Website: bitcoindesign.nl Instagram: @bitcoindesign.nl Exhibitions: Follow their Instagram for announcements (mostly Netherlands and Belgium) Shipping: Yes, internationally (though most clients are still Dutch)
Erik and Mark aren’t trying to revolutionize art. They’re not quitting their jobs tomorrow. They’re not moving to Bitcoin Beach.
They’re just two brothers who took their mom’s challenge, learned bronze casting, and now make sculptures that let people hold something that can’t be held.
In a world of digital everything, they’re making Bitcoin you can drop on your foot. And it would hurt. Because it’s 10 fucking kilograms of bronze.
“ Bitcoin is getting more normalized… but hopefully it will be more used in the future, not just kept and sold later.
They want Bitcoin to be money, not just digital gold. They want miners to eat (someone gets it). They want transactions happening, not just HODLing.
And they’re doing their part, one bronze sculpture at a time, between psychology sessions and coding sprints.
We’re in the same game as Erik and Mark - making Bitcoin physical, tangible, giftable. While they cast 10kg bronze monuments, we’re printing wisdom on paper and tucking it into red envelopes.
Both projects started the same way: People who believed in Bitcoin enough to create something, not just trade it.
The difference? You can actually afford to ship our envelopes. And your postman won’t hate you.
Create custom Bitcoin notes - lighter than bronze, heavier than a tweet
Start Creating →
Real families. Real Bitcoin. Real businesses. No venture capital bullshit.
PS: If you’re reading this, Erik and Mark, your mom was right. You should do it yourself. And you did.
