From taboo to temple! Satoshi Nakamoto statue arrives at the New York Stock Exchange, Bitcoin connects to Wall Street's core institutions

The New York Stock Exchange announced that a statue of Satoshi Nakamoto created by artist Valentina Piccini is now on display there. This is the sixth Satoshi Nakamoto statue and the first to be placed within a core Wall Street institution. The NYSE posted on X that this installation symbolizes “a shared territory between emerging systems and mature institutions.” Coinciding with the 17th anniversary of the Bitcoin mailing list, launched by Satoshi Nakamoto on December 10, 2008.

From Underground Hacker to Wall Street Hero: A Reversal of Identity

(Source: NYSE)

The NYSE has long been regarded as a bastion of traditional finance, and the placement of the Satoshi Nakamoto statue within this symbol of capitalism marks a historic moment where cryptocurrency transitions from the fringes to the mainstream. This sharply contrasts with a few years ago when cryptocurrencies were still taboo on Wall Street. In 2017, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon called Bitcoin a “fraud” and threatened to fire any employee trading Bitcoin. Traditional financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America also kept their distance from cryptocurrencies.

On January 3, 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto mined the genesis block, creating the first 50 Bitcoin, planting the seeds for today’s crypto industry. Over a year later, on May 22, 2010, programmer Laszlo Hanyecz made the first real-world purchase using Bitcoin by buying two pizzas with 10,000 BTC. Back then, Bitcoin was seen as a toy for tech geeks or a tool for dark web transactions, incompatible with mainstream finance.

However, perceptions shifted afterward. Skeptics like BlackRock CEO Larry Fink changed their views on the technology. Institutions and Wall Street rushed to invest through exchange-traded funds and other tools, and some even held Bitcoin directly in their treasuries. According to Bitbo data, currently over 3.7 million Bitcoin are held by public and private companies, nations, and ETFs, worth more than $336 billion.

This attitude change reached a turning point in January 2024 when the U.S. SEC approved a spot Bitcoin ETF listing. This decision opened a compliant pathway for institutional capital to enter, with asset management giants like BlackRock and Fidelity rapidly launching Bitcoin ETFs that attracted hundreds of billions of dollars. As Wall Street realized Bitcoin would not disappear and instead became one of the best-performing asset classes, its attitude shifted from hostility to embrace. The placement of the Satoshi Nakamoto statue at the NYSE is a symbolic climax of this attitude transformation.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Piccini said that Satoshi Nakamoto is one of the most fascinating and captivating figures of our era. These statues commemorate the person behind Bitcoin. She stated, “The statue itself aims to give viewers a sense of disappearance and the feeling that the inventor exists within the code—today, Satoshi Nakamoto still exists within Bitcoin’s code, giving humanity the first decentralized payment system.”

The Deep Symbolism of a Global Plan for 21 Statues

Piccini is committed to placing 21 statues of Satoshi Nakamoto around the world, which may refer to Bitcoin’s theoretical maximum supply of 21 million coins. This number reflects not only artistic creativity but also a tribute to the principle of Bitcoin’s scarcity. The six completed statues are located in Switzerland, El Salvador, Japan, Vietnam, Miami, and the NYSE, each with its own significance.

Switzerland is a leader in crypto-friendly regulation, with Zug dubbed “Crypto Valley,” home to hundreds of blockchain companies. El Salvador was the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, with President Nayib Bukele’s radical policies making it a frontier for Bitcoin experimentation. Japan is widely believed to be one of Satoshi Nakamoto’s possible origins, and in 2017, Japan recognized Bitcoin as a legal payment method.

Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia’s countries with the highest crypto adoption rates, with grassroots users widely using cryptocurrencies to combat currency devaluation. Miami, under Mayor Francis Suarez, has become one of the most crypto-friendly U.S. cities, even allowing municipal employees to receive salaries in Bitcoin. The NYSE represents Wall Street’s core—traditional finance’s highest hall.

Strategic Geographical Layout of the Six Satoshi Nakamoto Statues Globally

Europe (Switzerland): Crypto Valley Zug, symbolizing European regulatory innovation and blockchain enterprise clusters

Americas (El Salvador, Miami, New York): From Bitcoin as legal tender to crypto-friendly cities to Wall Street’s center, comprehensive coverage

Asia (Japan, Vietnam): From potential origins of Satoshi Nakamoto to the most active emerging markets with grassroots adoption

Piccini’s statue design is also highly symbolic. She said, “It depicts a hacker’s typical pose—sitting with a laptop on their lap—as a tribute to all developers and programmers worldwide who help build the Bitcoin ecosystem and fight for transparency and freedom.” This design choice portrays Satoshi Nakamoto as a technological revolutionary rather than a financier, emphasizing Bitcoin’s roots in technological idealism.

From Thought Experiment to $336 Billion in Institutional Assets

The timing of the Satoshi Nakamoto statue’s placement at the NYSE is highly symbolic. Wednesday coincided with the anniversary of the Bitcoin mailing list, launched by Satoshi Nakamoto on December 10, 2008. In that pioneering email, Nakamoto first introduced the Bitcoin white paper to the cryptography community, titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” This email initiated a continuous financial revolution that persists today.

From the 2008 conceptual experiment to 2025, when institutions hold over 3.7 million Bitcoins worth $336 billion, the 17-year journey has been filled with controversy, crises, and breakthroughs. Bitcoin has endured Mt. Gox exchange collapse, multiple regulatory crackdowns in China, skepticism and attacks from central banks worldwide, but it has not only survived but grown into the world’s tenth-largest asset class.

During this time, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies faced numerous challenges. Institutions and banks kept their distance, and governments reportedly attempted to suppress them through measures like “Chokehold Action 2.0.” However, when Wall Street realized it could not destroy Bitcoin, it chose to accept it. This attitude shift reflects not only strategic business decisions but also the adaptability of entrenched interests in the face of technological progress.

The NYSE’s statement—“a shared territory between emerging systems and mature institutions”—acknowledges that cryptocurrencies are no longer a fringe force but a new financial system that must coexist and even collaborate. Behind this is traditional finance’s recognition of blockchain technology’s value and a fear of missing out on this revolution. The display of the Satoshi Nakamoto statue is not only an artistic installation but also a declaration of this era’s change.