There are thought to be about 45 million Americans who are currently using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as well as trading the currencies to try and make a profit, cryptocurrencies can now be used in day-to-day life with more retailers allowing the use of decentralized currencies.
Celebrities tend to be early adopters when it comes to new technologies, and some are even recruited for endorsements. In this guide, we’re exploring some of the celebs known to use cryptocurrencies regularly.
How Do We Know Which Celebrities Use Crypto?
There are a number of ways that we can work out the celebrity users of cryptocurrencies. As well as a lot of them are happy to talk about it in interviews or on Twitter, sometimes the use of crypto is public knowledge.
Cryptocurrency gambling is growing at a rapid rate, and the celebs who are known to be gamblers have been involved in some specific crypto gambling events. For example, in a recent blockchain poker tournament, Vince Vaughn and Phil Ivey were among the participants. Platforms offering BTC poker, allowing people to deposit and withdraw using cryptocurrencies, sometimes have public events like this.
Public events are good for showing us which celebs are engaging in the cryptocurrency industry, but many more are playing Bitcoin and cryptocurrency online. Some celebrities are also more than happy to tell us about their cryptocurrency use. Sticking with the gambling theme, Drake shared a series of screenshots in which he showed bets he had placed on the Super Bowl, making an overall profit on his bets, which were worth around $1 million in total.
Celebs Who Are Into Crypto
Let’s dive into the list of celebrities we know are into cryptocurrencies:
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg, real name Calvin Broadus Jr., is known to be an early adopter in the world of technology. He’s something of an entrepreneur as well as a rapper, and he was certainly one of the first celebrities to throw their hat in the ring when it came to supporting crypto.
Back in 2013, Snoop announced that his next album would be available to purchase with Bitcoin. This is well before crypto became mainstream.
Snoop is also no stranger to blockchain technology in the form of NFTs, minting his own Snoopverse NFTs, in association with The Sandbox. He also sold ‘Stash Box’ NFTs to accompany his most recent album, and these limited edition NFTs sold in their thousands, with estimates he made over $40 million from the launch. Some have speculated about whether his NFTs were more of a publicity stunt, a bit like when he supposedly invited Harry and Meghan to his house for Thanksgiving. Snoop is not afraid to be controversial to make the headlines. However, when it comes to NFTs and cryptocurrency he knows his stuff.
Nas
Another rapper who is known for his business acumen is Nasir Jones. As well as being an immensely successful rapper, he spotted the potential in cryptocurrency early. His Queensbridge Venture Partners company backed Coinbase way back in 2013, investing somewhere between $100,000 and $500,000. Those shares would go on to be worth in excess of $40 million when the company was taken public.
Nas made some huge calls about cryptocurrencies almost a decade ago. In 2014 he claimed that Bitcoin “will evolve into an industry as big, if not bigger, than the Internet.” He has certainly profited from his forethought when it comes to blockchain.
Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala (Plus Other Sports Stars)
Golden State Warriors players Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala are now receiving a percentage of their salary in Bitcoin, in collaboration with Cash App.
They are examples of a huge number of sporting celebrities who have made the switch and endorsed crypto. All-stars Thompson and Iguodala have both won multiple basketball championships and are huge names in the NBA.
Over in the NFL, generational talent Aaron Rogers has also teamed up with Cash App to get his salary paid in Bitcoin, and full teams such as Sacramento Kings are now allowing both players and staff to get paid in crypto if they want to.
Other global stars in soccer, such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, have signed deals with cryptocurrency involved. Messi got some of his signing-on bonus paid in crypto when he joined Paris Saint Germain.
Conclusion
From sports stars to Hollywood stars, there are a variety of different celebrities out there who are happy to take their use of Bitcoin public. As well as those on this list, we’ve seen entrepreneurs such as Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk play a big part in pushing blockchain technology. These entrepreneurs are celebrities in their own right, of course.
Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency out there, and the most valuable as it stands, but plenty of celebrities are spotting the opportunity to get involved with a growing industry.
