The New York Stock Exchange is now home to the sixth edition of Valentina Picozzi’s disappearing Satoshi Nakamoto statue. The arrival of the piece marks a notable change in attitude from a time when crypto was largely unwelcome on Wall Street.
The NYSE described the installation as shared ground between new systems and long-running financial institutions in a post on X on Wednesday. The statue was placed by Bitcoin firm Twenty One Capital, which began trading this week.
The work itself is by Picozzi, known online as Satoshigallery, who said seeing her latest piece positioned at one of the most recognizable financial sites in the world felt mind-blowing.
Satoshi Statue Reaches New York
Picozzi wrote that she never imagined the statue would reach this location and noted that it is the sixth in her planned series of twenty-one pieces. The timing aligns with the anniversary of the Bitcoin mailing list, launched by Satoshi Nakamoto on Dec 10, 2008, a moment many view as the start of the public conversation around Bitcoin.
Nakamoto mined the first block of the Bitcoin network on Jan 3, 2009. He produced the initial 50 coins and set in motion a project that would later become a major global asset class. More than a year later, on May 22, 2010, developer Laszlo Hanyecz made the first known commercial purchase with Bitcoin, trading 10,000 coins for two pizzas.
In the beginning, many institutions kept their distance, and banks often avoided direct involvement. Governments also drew criticism for actions that some in the industry viewed as attempts to limit crypto activity.
Bitcoin’s Shift From Experiment to Global Asset
Over time, the perception shifted. High-profile skeptics, including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, changed their stance as interest in Bitcoin grew. Wall Street firms later pursued exchange-traded funds tied to Bitcoin, while a number of companies began adding Bitcoin to their own treasuries.
Data from Bitbo shows that public companies, private firms, countries, and ETFs now hold more than 3.7 million Bitcoin combined. The total value exceeds $336 billion, meaning Bitcoin has moved from its experimental start.
More Satoshi statues are planned. Picozzi already has five installations in Switzerland, El Salvador, Japan, Vietnam, and Miami. She aims to place twenty-one worldwide, a number widely associated with Bitcoin’s maximum supply. Satoshi statues serve as a tribute to the still unknown creator whose work reshaped digital finance.