Miami Mayor Francis Suarez unveiled a new robotic bull with laser eyes to celebrate the beginning of the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami.
The news: Suarez unveiled the new bull — standing at 11 feet and weighing in at 3,000 pounds — on Wednesday at the Miami Beach Convention Center, according to Vice News.
- The bull is an obvious knockoff of the iconic Wall Street bull statue.
- Per Vice News, Suarez said the statue was a “symbolic and powerful addition” to Miami that shows the “future of finance is here, in Miami.”
Why it matters: Crypto business owners are using the conference as a time to pitch new ideas and network.
The Miami Bull is shown, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press
The Miami Bull is shown, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press
The Miami Bull is shown, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, center, and John Bartleman, President and CEO of TradeStation Group, walk up to the Miami Bull, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press
Miami is kicking off a multiday Bitcoin conference by unveiling a larger-than-life bull statue, as the city looks to cement its image as a crypto hub.
— Bloomberg (@business) April 6, 2022
Meet the "Miami Bull" https://t.co/bAD2iCx19K (video from @brucefenton) pic.twitter.com/Lq47XpHglK
The bigger picture: Miami is looking to become a cryptocurrency hot spot, bringing in crypto-based firms and entrepreneurs, per Bloomberg.
- Crypto experts see Miami — and Florida, in general — as business-friendly environments and an attractive spot for the future of finance, according to the Associated Press.
- “It’s hard to deny this is an amazing opportunity for companies to come here and build out their project in crypto,” John Bartleman, CEO of Plantation, Florida-based TradeStation, a multi-asset broker, told AP.