Bison Sculpture of Boerse Stuttgart Stands Next to Bull and Bear in Frankfurt for One Day

The bull and bear have stood at the Frankfurt stock exchange square for decades as symbols of rising and falling markets: the bull, which thrusts upward with its horns, represents the upward trend, while the bear, which strikes downward with its paw, represents the downturn. The BISON statue joins this symbolism as a third figure — though only for 24 hours.

According to the company, the installation is meant to illustrate that crypto is "eine eigenständige, volatile, aber langfristig relevante Anlageklasse und ein fester Bestandteil des modernen Kapitalmarkts." Dr. Ulli Spankowski, CEO and Co-Founder of BISON, stated: „Korrekturen gehören zu den Märkten dazu - bei Aktien, Gold und auch bei Bitcoin. Entscheidend ist, Kryptowährungen nicht nur aus der Perspektive kurzfristiger Kursbewegungen zu betrachten."

BISON Argues with Market Maturity

Spankowski also pointed to the increasing integration of digital assets into the regulated financial system. „Die Frage ist längst nicht mehr, ob Krypto Teil der Finanzwelt wird, sondern wie sich die fortschreitende Integration weiter gestalten wird. Vertrauen, Regulierung und zuverlässige Infrastruktur spielen dabei eine zentrale Rolle“, he said. The crypto market is changing "fundamental," moving away from purely short-term price movements and bull-versus-bear contrasts.

Criticism from Academia

In parallel to the action in Frankfurt, Professor Walz of Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences expressed criticism of private crypto investments on Deutschlandfunk. „Aus Sicht des Verbraucherschutzes seien Krypto-Investments zumindest derzeit äußerst kritisch zu beurteilen“, the behavioral economist warned. Short-term price gains have "keinerlei prognostische Relevanz."

Walz compared the history of cryptocurrencies to that of gold. „Circa 26 Jahre Kryptos stünden hier gegen rund 6.000 Jahre Gold“, he said. Even the "Shooting-Star" Bitcoin could "noch in die Wert- und Bedeutungslosigkeit fallen," according to the economics professor. The thesis that crypto is permanently a relevant asset class cannot be "heute niemand abschließend bewerten" by anyone today.

However, Walz did not speak out against the technology in principle. „Die Menschheit sollte unbedingt weiter an Kryptowährungen und der dahinterstehenden Technologie arbeiten und forschen“, he said. At the same time, he pointed to possible future generations of digital assets, "vielleicht sogar mit Unterstützung von Zentralbanken."

Research Yes, Investment No

Walz, however, clearly warned retail investors: „Aber Menschen sollten nicht in diese fragile und noch in den Kinderschuhen steckende Sub-Anlageklasse investieren." His central argument: „Je länger etwas funktioniere, desto höher sei die Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit für die Zukunft." With cryptocurrencies, this history is still very short.

The BISON platform is, according to the company, part of the Boerse Stuttgart Group and can be accessed via the website bisonapp.com. The statue itself is purely a marketing appearance: according to the company, it will disappear from the square in front of the Frankfurt stock exchange as early as the following day.

Overall, the action illustrates the tension in which the crypto market currently finds itself: On one side stands the claim to become part of the established financial system with regulated products. On the other side stand warnings from consumer advocates and scientists who classify investments in the young asset class as risky.