Satoshi Statue Unveiled at NYSE as XXI Stock Debuts
The NYSE has unveiled Valentina Picozzi’s “Disappearing Satoshi” statue, marking another milestone in Bitcoin’s growing integration with traditional finance.
The New York Stock Exchange — long viewed as the epicenter of traditional finance — has become the latest global host of Valentina Picozzi’s “disappearing” Satoshi Nakamoto statue, signaling how sharply attitudes toward Bitcoin have shifted on Wall Street. Once regarded with skepticism, the world’s largest cryptocurrency now finds symbolic representation at one of the most influential financial institutions on the planet.
Organized by Bitcoin-native firm Twenty One Capital, which began trading on the NYSE this week, the installation marks the sixth stop in a global campaign dedicated to honoring the anonymous creator of Bitcoin. The statue’s arrival in Lower Manhattan extends the project’s growing international footprint and underscores Bitcoin’s accelerating cultural relevance.
A New Symbol on Wall Street
In a post shared on X on Dec. 10, the NYSE described the piece as a representation of “shared ground between emerging systems and established institutions.” The framing captures a broader shift: Bitcoin is no longer just a disruptive technology—it is increasingly seen as an asset class with a legitimate foothold in regulated markets.
Artist Valentina Picozzi, known online as Satoshigallery, said seeing her work installed at the NYSE was “mind-blowing,” a surreal milestone in a multi-year effort to place Satoshi monuments around the world.
Twenty One Capital CEO Jack Mallers, who also founded the Lightning Network-powered payments company Strike, emphasized that the statue’s placement reflects Bitcoin’s evolution from a niche code experiment into a global cultural and financial phenomenon.
The statue series now appears in six locations: Switzerland, El Salvador, Japan, Vietnam, Miami, and New York City.
A Global Campaign Marked by Triumphs and Turmoil
The installation comes only months after another Satoshi statue in Switzerland was targeted in a high-profile act of vandalism. Following Swiss National Day celebrations in August, vandals severed the bronze monument in Lugano using tungsten carbide cutting disks and petrol-powered angle grinders, discarding it into Lake Lugano.
Local investigators suspected intoxicated revelers, while the Satoshigallery collective responded by offering 0.1 BTC (worth around $12,000 at the time) for information leading to the sculpture’s recovery.
The group publicly condemned the attack, stating:
“You can steal our symbol but you will never be able to steal our souls.”
Despite the setback, the global initiative — which aims to place 21 monuments symbolizing Bitcoin’s 21 million supply cap — has continued expanding. Earlier installations include Budapest, which unveiled the world’s first Satoshi monument in 2021, as well as El Salvador’s Bitcoin Beach and Tokyo.
Budapest’s bronze bust features a faceless, hooded figure with a reflective surface inspired by the concept of collective identity behind Bitcoin, while Picozzi’s “Disappearing Satoshi” depicts a seated figure at a laptop that visually vanishes depending on the viewer’s angle — a commentary on Nakamoto’s anonymity.
Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto?
Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, responsible for one of the most consequential innovations in modern financial and technological history.
- 2008: Publishes the Bitcoin white paper, proposing a decentralized, peer-to-peer electronic cash system.
- 2009: Launches the Bitcoin network and mines the genesis block, generating the first 50 BTC.
- 2010: After corresponding with early developers, Nakamoto disappears, leaving behind a protocol that would eventually reach global adoption.
More than 15 years later, Satoshi’s identity remains one of technology’s greatest mysteries, and artists continue to reinterpret the symbolism of an invisible founder who sparked a trillion-dollar industry.
Twenty One Capital Makes Its NYSE Debut
The statue’s unveiling coincided with the public listing of Mallers’ Bitcoin-focused company, Twenty One Capital, which began trading on the NYSE under the ticker XXI on Dec. 9.
The debut followed a merger with Cantor Equity Partners, a Nasdaq-listed SPAC, positioning the company as a new entrant in the expanding landscape of Bitcoin-centric financial firms. Backed by major investors including Tether and SoftBank, Twenty One Capital markets itself as a regulated gateway for equity-market exposure to Bitcoin.
The company’s launch places it in direct competition with Michael Saylor’s Strategy, as well as other corporate entities aggressively accumulating BTC for long-term treasury management.
According to CryptoPulseNews’ Crypto Treasury Tracker, Twenty One Capital holds approximately 43,514 BTC worth more than $3.9 billion, making it the third-largest corporate Bitcoin holder globally, just behind MARA Holdings and Strategy. The substantial treasury underscores how Bitcoin-native businesses are increasingly mirroring the long-term accumulation strategy championed by established institutional players.
Art, Finance, and the Expanding Bitcoin Narrative
With the NYSE installation, Picozzi’s global project continues to bridge the gap between Bitcoin culture and the traditional financial establishment. The monument arrives at a pivotal moment: institutional demand for BTC is at its highest levels, Bitcoin ETFs have reshaped market accessibility, and public companies are accelerating BTC accumulation as a treasury strategy.
The presence of Satoshi Nakamoto’s symbolic figure at the NYSE serves as a powerful reminder of Bitcoin’s unlikely journey — from a fringe idea challenged by regulators and bankers to an asset embraced by Wall Street firms, institutional investors, and now, even the architectural heart of global finance.
As Twenty One Capital begins its trading life on the exchange floor below, the statue overlooking it captures a broader narrative: Bitcoin is not just influencing markets — it is reshaping culture, identity, and the physical spaces where financial history is made.
