Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are slowly taking over new industries. And sports is just one industry to keep an eye on as it’s not just about eSports and crypto anymore.
No, we’re not just talking about sponsorships (of which there are several). We’re talking about NFL players being genuinely interested in crypto.
So what happens when the NFL’s first projected pick in the 2021 draft partners with a crypto platform? Is this the first example? Will this change the rules of the game?
A Star Who Believes In Crypto
We are talking about Trevor Lawrence, the 21-year-old quarterback tagged as one of the top NFL prospects in recent years. Having completed his college career at Clemson, he is a possible future NFL star who just so happens to believe in cryptocurrencies.
Crypto investment platform Blockfolio and the 21-year-old Lawrence believed in each other. As a result, they decided to sign an endorsement deal. The best part of the deal? Lawrence will receive some of his money in different cryptos — from bitcoin and Ether to Dogecoin.
Trevor was thrilled to close the deal. He stated on Twitter that he was excited to bring these two worlds together. And while Trevor is not the first within the NFL to work with crypto, he can certainly set a benchmark for newcomers.
NFL and Crypto: A Rising Love Story
As we said earlier, this is not the first time NFL players and cryptocurrencies have played on the same field. The first recorded exchange was that of December 2020 — Russell Okung of the Carolina Panthers received half of his salary in bitcoin. After that decision and four months of a bull market, Okung is one of the highest-paid athletes in the league.
Okung was not the only one to try. Recently, Kansas City Chiefs player Sean Culkin took an even more extreme route. Culkin will receive his entire salary (almost a million dollars) entirely in bitcoin. He said he fully believes in the system and its future – despite the fluctuations.
While it’s still early to view this as a radical change, it seems the NFL will be the first sport to fully embrace cryptocurrencies. Maybe after these positive experiments, other players will take a similar route. Who knows? Maybe the teams themselves will start betting on offering it sooner.
Only time will tell, but it looks like bitcoin with a throw from Lawrence is about to score a touchdown.
