A Florida brokerage firm has unveiled a terrifying version of New York's Charging Bull statue, complete with laser blue eyes and a shiny metallic body, at a Bitcoin conference in Miami as the city tries to lure crypto companies to the area. 
The robotic 11 ft statue was commissioned by TradeStation, a multiasset broker based in Plantation, a Fort Lauderdale suburb. 
'It's hard to deny this is an amazing opportunity for companies to come here and build out their project in crypto,' said TradeStation CEO John Bartleman.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who has attracted national attention by luring tech investment and becoming one of America's most crypto-friendly mayors, unveiled the artwork Wednesday to a joyful crowd kicking off the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami Beach.
'Welcome to the future of finance,' the mayor said.
Thousands of cryptocurrency enthusiasts are gathering in the city as it builds its reputation as one of the key locations to develop blockchain technology, despite its underdog status.
Dozens of companies are using the conference - running Wednesday through Saturday - as a venue to network, pitch ideas and share announcements.
New York City and Silicon Valley continued to lead in funding raised by blockchain startups in 2021, with $6.5 billion and $3.9 billion. But Miami is now tied with Los Angeles, where firms pulled in more than $760 million in funding, according to market research firm CB Insights.





The 11 ft statue, complete with laser blue eyes and a shiny metallic body, was commissioned by Plantation, Florida multiasset broker TradeStation





The crypto king who took $215 MILLION to his grave: Bitcoin... Brother and sister are charged in $124M cryptocurrency scam...






A volcano is built at the center of the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami Beach, Florida on Tuesday.

Dozens of companies are using the Bitcoin 2022 conference as a platform to pitch ideas to investors or share announcements to the crypto world and beyond






At least year's Bitcoin conference, forex affiliate El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said that his country would be the first to make cryptocurrency legal tender

One of the most-anticipated announcements may come from 27-year-old Jack Mallers, CEO of bitcoin payment app Strike, who worked with Bukele's government on the bitcoin launch.
Mallers also partnered with Twitter to synchronize his app with the social network to make it possible to send digital money as 'tips' without needing a bank like Cash App and PayPal, demonstrating on video how he sent $10 to a man at a Salvadoran Starbucks.
It remains to be seen what the effort will yield in the future. 
South Florida saw its population decline by more than 18,000 people between July 2020 and July 2021.

And critics worry the city does not have a high-ranking university that could build workforce to make companies thrive, the way the Bay Area and New York do.
But Miami businessman Josip Rupena, who will be speaking about his crypto mortgages startup at the conference, affiliate binary options said to give the effort a few years.
Rupena's company, called Milo, has received $24 million in venture funding from investors to become a lender for people with considerable digital wealth.
'For the first time, I think we have a platform - and a national platform - to tell others that there are really a lot of smart and capable people here.

It is great we can amplify that message,' Rupena said.
Miami is one of a handful of municipalities in the country trying to lure crypto investment.
Earlier this year, Colorado Gov. Jay Police said his state will allow residents to pay their taxes with crypto starting this summer.
Polis says the payments would go through an intermediary, who will convert the rapidly fluctuating digital currencies to US dollars that can be deposited into the state's treasury and actually be used to pay for things.




[img][/img]
Colorado Gov.

Jay Polis says his state will allow residents to pay their taxes with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin starting this summer