Author: Benjamin Lee From the NBA to the NFL and even boxing and MMA, cryptocurrency has begun to make its presence felt in the sporting world. What was once thought to be the purview of the underground has exploded onto the mainstream. With the way Bitcoin and other cryptos have been performing as of late, it should come as no surprise that athletes are looking to jump in on the game, paying attention to currencies but also to trading companies. Gael Monfils, French pro tennis player, has already given his eToro review and he is known to be a trader. Recently, waves were made when NFL Quarterback Matt Barkley tried to get the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals to pay him in Bitcoin. While his ploy was unsuccessful, Barkley's attempt to get paid in crypto highlights the growing interest that many athletes have expressed for Bitcoin. Here's a list of professional athletes from a variety of disciplines who've taken to cryptocurrency. - Floyd ?Money? Mayweather
 Love him of hate him, Floyd ?Money? Mayweather knows where the money is. With an undefeated record and millions to his name, the boxer was one of the first proponents of cryptocurrency. From taking on the role as ambassador of the Stox crypto project to endorsing Bitcoin and Ethereum on his social media accounts, Mayweather has demonstrated incredible foresight with regards to cryptocurrency.
During the build-up to his much-anticipated fight with McGregor, Mayweather took to Twitter and lauded the benefits of investing in Stox to his 18.5 million followers. Mayweather even went so far as to urge his fans to start calling him Floyd ?Crypto? Mayweather as a testament to his passion for cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, Mayweather's forays into cryptocurrency have not always been so fruitful. The boxer ended up in hot water when the startup; Centra Tech that he and DJ Khaled were endorsing proved to be a fraud. As it turned out, Centra Tech or CTR was selling unlicensed investments to clients before being reported to the SEC. - Luis Suarez
Widely regarded by many as one of the most effective strikers in football and also one of the most hated men in soccer, Luis Suarez has proven to be a controversial figure both on and off the field. From his history of literally biting rival players to flashing the middle finger to opposing fans, the Uruguayan striker is literally loathed and loved in equal measures. However, there is no denying that the Barcelona player has his eye on the crypto market. Back in 2018, Suarez called on millions of his Instagram fans to follow him in signing on with the Ethereum-based market platform Stox. Just like Floyd Mayweather, Suarez has jumped on the Stox bandwagon and is looking to reap that sweet, sweet crypto income. - Dennis Rodman
Renowned for his wild hairstyles and even wilder antics such as flying into North Korea to visit Kim Jung-Un, Dennis Rodman is another proponent of cryptocurrency. Back in 2018, the retired Chicago Bulls player flew to Singapore for the Trump-Kim Summit. During his visit, Rodman gave one of the most absurd interviews ever in which he cried for joy on air lauding how the summit represented a turning point in history for both the United States and North Korea. Despite the absurdity of this, what really got tongues wagging was the Potcoin.com t-shirt sported by Rodman. This was seen by many as an endorsement for Potcoin.com which describes itself as being a ?digital currency used to facilitate transactions within the legalized cannabis industry?. - Richard Sherman
Playing as the cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers, Richard Sherman's outspoken personality and love for big plays threw him into the limelight. Despite some of the controversy courted by Sherman, he is also the founder of Blanket Coverage; a charity foundation which helps underprivileged children in low-income communities. Alongside this, the NFL player has also expressed interest in both Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. His online store, was one of the first to accept Bitcoin as payment. While we may be a long way off from seeing full acceptance of Bitcoin and other cryptos in sports, a significant number of superstars have taken the crypto route. |
