TLDR
- Ross Calvin plans a $450 million 450-foot Prometheus statue on Alcatraz.
- The statue would stand taller than the Statue of Liberty at 305 feet.
- The project requires national monument status from President Trump.
- Calvin’s firm Parhelion operates 25 MW of Bitcoin mining capacity.
Bitcoin mining entrepreneur Ross Calvin plans to pitch the President of the United States on a 450-foot statue of Prometheus to be built on Alcatraz Island. The project, estimated at $450 million, would surpass the Statue of Liberty in height and can proceed only if President Trump reclassifies Alcatraz as a national monument, Bloomberg reported.
Proposal and Presidential Approval
Ross Calvin, the head of Bitcoin mining firm Parhelion, leads the project through his nonprofit American Colossus. The organization describes the proposed monument as a tribute to beauty, heroism, ingenuity, and the Western spirit.
Calvin told Bloomberg that his team plans to submit a full proposal, including architectural renderings and a museum concept, to President Trump by January 2026. The monument’s proposed site, Alcatraz Island, was decommissioned as a prison in 1963 and now serves as a national park. Presidential approval is required to reclassify it as a monument to allow construction.
Design and Scale of the Statue
The proposed Prometheus statue would stand 450 feet tall, surpassing the 305-foot height of the Statue of Liberty. Built from a nickel-bronze alloy, it would reach more than half the height of the Golden Gate Bridge, whose towers rise 746 feet above the water.
According to the American Colossus website, the monument aims to serve as “a lightning rod for the noble destiny of the West” and as “America’s monument to beauty, heroism, ingenuity, and manifest destiny.” The organization presents the statue as a modern reinterpretation of Prometheus, the Greek titan who brought fire to humanity, symbolizing creativity and progress.
Crypto Ventures and Changing Partnerships
Calvin’s experience in cryptocurrency and technology provides context for his large-scale ambition. His Denver-based mining company, Parhelion, operates 25 megawatts of computing power in Kurdish Iraq and plans further expansion across Syria, Egypt, Libya, and Algeria. The company’s website states that Calvin has been involved in Bitcoin mining since 2013.
In July 2025, Calvin launched a Prometheus-themed memecoin through the Believe launchpad, but the token failed to gain market traction, reaching only about $12,000 in capitalization. The American Colossus website noted, “We casually experimented with a digital token on BelieveApp. We had no expectations for it and quickly moved on.”
Philosopher Jason Jorjani had earlier announced his participation in the project but is no longer listed among the team members on the nonprofit’s website. Calvin now focuses on securing federal approval and funding for what could become one of the tallest statues ever constructed.
Challenges and Vision for the Project
The proposed construction faces environmental, logistical, and regulatory challenges due to Alcatraz’s status as a protected national park. The island attracts more than 1.4 million visitors annually, and any redevelopment would require extensive review by multiple federal agencies. The nonprofit has yet to release an environmental assessment or a full financial plan for the $450 million project.
Despite these obstacles, Calvin describes the project as an expression of modern creativity and American innovation. He said the monument seeks to connect “the myth of Prometheus” with “the energy of American progress.” Supporters view it as a blend of art, technology, and national identity, while critics raise questions about feasibility and heritage preservation.
The American Colossus team continues to develop detailed designs and fundraising strategies. The formal proposal is expected to be presented to the White House in early 2026. The final decision will depend on federal review and public response to one of the most ambitious monument plans proposed in recent U.S. history.
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