“Miami is the new capital of capital,” Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez said before a 3-second countdown Wednesday that ended with the unveiling of an 11-foot, 3,000-pound statue of a charging bull.
“We saw a hole in the space here in Miami,” said John Bartleman, the president, and CEO of TradeStation Group, the Miami-born trading and investing fintech that commissioned the statue.
“We were missing an anchor to rally around and we’re honored to celebrate Miami's role in building a new financial world for the future.”
Why It Matters: After posting a tweet at the onset of the pandemic expressing his support for the emergence of a technology and finance community of the likes of Silicon Valley in Miami, Suarez started a movement.
Fast forward and Miami has become a destination for talents looking to escape cities that are less friendly to innovation. This is expressed by its hosting of Bitcoin 2022, a conference focused on Bitcoin, as well as the warm welcoming of firms like Blackstone Inc BX and the Web3 movement that’s infusing blockchain technology and the internet.
The Miami Bull, which crowns Miami as the Capital of Capital, symbolizes the city’s commitment to championing innovative ideas and the transformative technologies leaders like TradeStation are behind.
“The city of Miami is committed to championing innovative ideas and transformative technologies,” Suarez said.
“The Miami Bull is a symbolic and powerful addition to our city’s landscape. Its presence further reaffirms the strength of Miami's position on the financial world stage. The future of finance is here, in Miami.”
The TradeStation team said it was honored to participate in the recognition of Miami as the new epicenter of crypto and fintech.
“There’s so much happening here and we’re very active in the community,” James Putra, who is head of crypto strategy at TradeStation, said of his team’s sponsorship and launch of a community fintech initiatives like a student-managed investment fund at Miami Dade College.
“The Miami Bull is the amalgamation of all the efforts that have put Miami front and center on the world stage for cryptocurrency and fintech. These events are integral in driving a lot of the excitement here in Miami, creating a great place to live, work, and play.”
Going Forward: The statue was unveiled at the Miami Beach Convention Center during the Bitcoin 2022 conference.
After the event, the Miami Bull will be relocated as a monument on the Miami Dade College Campus.
Courtesy photo.
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