A Bitcoin investor has hidden treasure chests with a value of around $2million (£1.6million) each across the United States.
Jon Collins-Black, a musician-turned-entrepreneur, has hidden the five troves across the nation and is challenging the public to locate them.
He first decided during the Covid pandemic that he wanted to create the chests, and has since spent five years sourcing the treasures to place inside.
Collins-Black secured most of the pieces through auctions and antique dealers, and each trove is worth $2 to $3million (£2.4million).
He told Business Insider that there are five chests - one large and four small - hidden in various locations across the US.
The bitcoin investor said that none of the chests were buried or on private land, and that no dangerous stunts would be required to successfully locate the treasures.
Some of the pieces found include a Casascius bitcoin (the first physical bitcoin ever made), a 2002 Shining Charizard Pokémon card, antiques from a shipwreck and George Washington’s jelly glass.
He said that all of the treasures meant a great deal to him, though has a particular soft spot for a green Colombian emerald.
MORE LIKE THIS:
Collins-Black said that all of the clues to find the chests are in his new book ‘There’s a Treasure Inside’.
However, he said that in order to locate the x that mark the spot, readers will have to have a sharp eye.
He told the publication that when he came up with the idea for the treasure hunt, he only had a “loose budget” for the prizes.
However, due to bitcoin frequently fluctuating, the amount of the boxes could vary.
“I was actually trying to figure out what the sweet spot would be as far as how big to make this without making it too big,” Collins-Black said.
“I didn't want people to go crazy.”
Only Collins-Black knows the locations of the chests, each of which have instructions on how to open them so people don’t have to destroy them to get them open.
He said he doesn’t think he will regret giving his money away to strangers.
"If bitcoin goes to $500,000 or $1 million or these treasures are worth $10 million in five to seven years and someone finds them, and then I think I'll just celebrate that and be happy for it," Collins-Black said.
"There were definitely a couple of items where people were like, 'Are you sure you want to put that in the treasure?'" he added.
"But at the end of the day, I think I'll just be excited for whoever finds it."
However, said he did not want the hunt to “drag on forever”, and would likely release the clues in a decade if the chests are not found.
Find Out More...
Jon Collins-Black, a musician-turned-entrepreneur, has hidden the five troves across the nation and is challenging the public to locate them.
He first decided during the Covid pandemic that he wanted to create the chests, and has since spent five years sourcing the treasures to place inside.
Collins-Black secured most of the pieces through auctions and antique dealers, and each trove is worth $2 to $3million (£2.4million).
He told Business Insider that there are five chests - one large and four small - hidden in various locations across the US.
The bitcoin investor said that none of the chests were buried or on private land, and that no dangerous stunts would be required to successfully locate the treasures.
Some of the pieces found include a Casascius bitcoin (the first physical bitcoin ever made), a 2002 Shining Charizard Pokémon card, antiques from a shipwreck and George Washington’s jelly glass.
He said that all of the treasures meant a great deal to him, though has a particular soft spot for a green Colombian emerald.
MORE LIKE THIS:
- Bible mystery may be solved after discovery of 1,600-year-old bronze pendant
- Ancient Aztec death whistle capable of producing 'scariest sound in the world'
- Earliest inscription declaring 'Jesus is God' discovered in Israel
Collins-Black said that all of the clues to find the chests are in his new book ‘There’s a Treasure Inside’.
However, he said that in order to locate the x that mark the spot, readers will have to have a sharp eye.
He told the publication that when he came up with the idea for the treasure hunt, he only had a “loose budget” for the prizes.
However, due to bitcoin frequently fluctuating, the amount of the boxes could vary.
“I was actually trying to figure out what the sweet spot would be as far as how big to make this without making it too big,” Collins-Black said.
“I didn't want people to go crazy.”
Only Collins-Black knows the locations of the chests, each of which have instructions on how to open them so people don’t have to destroy them to get them open.
He said he doesn’t think he will regret giving his money away to strangers.
"If bitcoin goes to $500,000 or $1 million or these treasures are worth $10 million in five to seven years and someone finds them, and then I think I'll just celebrate that and be happy for it," Collins-Black said.
"There were definitely a couple of items where people were like, 'Are you sure you want to put that in the treasure?'" he added.
"But at the end of the day, I think I'll just be excited for whoever finds it."
However, said he did not want the hunt to “drag on forever”, and would likely release the clues in a decade if the chests are not found.
Find Out More...