Crypto Firm Buys the Answer to the CIA’s Mysterious Kryptos Sculpture
Artist Jim Sanborn has sold the solution to the unsolved fourth panel of his Kryptos sculpture, and the crypto venture capital firm Paradigm now holds the secret.
Jim Sanborn, the artist behind the Kryptos sculpture installed outside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, in 1990, has auctioned off its long-held secret. The artwork features four encrypted panels; three were solved within a decade, but the fourth (K4) remained elusive. Tired of incorrect submissions, Sanborn decided to sell the answer.
In November 2025, the auction fetched nearly $1 million for the solution to K4 and a hidden fifth panel (K5). Sanborn received $770,000. The winning bidder was Paradigm, a crypto-focused venture capital firm co-founded by a Coinbase co-founder. Partner Dan Robinson, captivated by cryptography since childhood, believes owning Kryptos aligns with the firm’s philosophy and will help attract top talent.
Before the auction, researchers Jarett Kobek and Richard Byrne discovered the plaintext of K4 in Smithsonian archives but agreed not to release it. Paradigm now oversees the secret, having not opened the sealed envelopes containing the answers. The firm charges $1 per submission (previously $50) and will host contests. The first to solve K4 gains glory and access to a prerecorded video by Sanborn. Once K4 is cracked, K5 will become solvable.
Though Sanborn has handed over the secret, he remains involved. He may embed K5 clues in his public artworks. The sculpture continues to stand at Langley, mocking intelligence agencies.
