NFL 球星與比特幣熱潮：高風險生意還是天才舉動？

當 NFL 球星小奧德爾貝克漢 (Odell Beckham Jr.) 決定對 2021 年的財務未來做出大膽聲明時，他不僅抓住了機會，還掀起了比特幣熱潮。

NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. made waves in 2021 when he announced that he would be taking his entire Los Angeles Rams salary for the 2021-2022 season in Bitcoin (BTC). At the time, Bitcoin was trading at a respectable $57,400. Skeptics scoffed, seeing the move as a risky moonshot. But for Beckham Jr., it was the start of a “new era.”

NFL 球星小奧德爾貝克漢姆 (Odell Beckham Jr.) 在 2021 年引起了轟動，當時他宣布他將用比特幣 (BTC) 支付洛杉磯公羊隊 2021-2022 賽季的全部工資。當時，比特幣的交易價格為 57,400 美元。懷疑論者對此嗤之以鼻，認為此舉是一場冒險的登月計畫。但對小貝克漢來說，這是一個「新時代」的開始。

“It’s a NEW ERA & to kick that off I’m hyped to announce that I’m taking my new salary in bitcoin thanks to @CashApp. To ALL MY FANS out there, no matter where u r: THANK YOU! I’m giving back a total of $1M in BTC rn too. Drop your $cashtag w. #OBJBTC & follow @CashApp NOW,” Beckham Jr. tweeted.

「這是一個新時代，為了開啟這個時代，我興奮地宣布，感謝@CashApp，我將用比特幣領取新的薪水。致我所有的粉絲，無論您身在何處：謝謝！我也將總共回饋 100 萬美元的 BTC。放下您的 $cashtag w。 #OBJBTC 並立即關注@CashApp，」小貝克漢在推特上寫道。

In celebration of both his crypto-friendly paycheck and his move to the Rams, he promised to give away $1 million in Bitcoin to fans via X (formerly known as Twitter). Cue the avalanche of “thank you” tweets from followers thrilled by their newfound digital riches.

為了慶祝他的加密貨幣友好的薪水和轉會到公羊隊，他承諾透過 X（以前稱為 Twitter）向粉絲贈送 100 萬美元的比特幣。粉絲們對他們新發現的數位財富感到興奮，紛紛在推特上發表了「謝謝」。

Fast-forward to earlier this month: Beckham Jr. made clear he was happy with his decision.

快進到本月初：小貝克漢明確表示他對自己的決定感到滿意。

“🥱 😌 🚀,” Beckham Jr. tweeted on December 5.

“🥱😌🚀”，小貝克漢於 12 月 5 日發推文。

Beckham Jr. isn’t alone in this cryptocurrency craze. He’s just one athlete on a growing roster of NFL players keen on swapping greenbacks for so-called digital gold.

小貝克漢並不是唯一一個參與加密貨幣熱潮的人。他只是熱衷於將美元換成所謂數字黃金的 NFL 球員中的一員。

Here are six NFL stars who chose crypto over cash. Maybe they’ll inspire you to make 2023 the year you finally start saving for retirement. Or not. Maybe just don’t tell your financial advisor.

以下是六位 NFL 球星選擇加密貨幣而非現金的情況。也許它們會激勵您在 2023 年最終開始為退休儲蓄。或不。也許只是不要告訴你的財務顧問。

Before Beckham Jr. was Russell Okung. The offensive tackle got heat in 2020 with the Carolina Panthers by converting half his $13 million salary into Bitcoin.

在小貝克漢之前的是拉塞爾·奧孔。 2020 年，這位進攻截鋒在卡羅萊納黑豹隊 (Carolina Panthers) 受到熱捧，他將 1300 萬美元薪水的一半兌換成了比特幣。

“Paid in Bitcoin,” Okung’s announcement went viral, positioning him as the NFL’s crypto pioneer. Little did he know he’d inspire a tidal wave of blockchain enthusiasm among his gridiron peers.

“用比特幣支付”，Okung 的聲明迅速走紅，將他定位為 NFL 的加密貨幣先驅。他幾乎不知道自己會在球場同行中激起一股區塊鏈熱情。

NFL executives and financial advisors — even his mother — reportedly tried to block Okung from taking the crypto plunge. But his insistence paid off.

據報道，NFL 高管和財務顧問——甚至是他的母親——試圖阻止 Okung 涉足加密貨幣領域。但他的堅持得到了回報。

Today, he is one of the founders of Bitball, a sports league venture that pays participating athletes in crypto.

如今，他是 Bitball 的創始人之一，這是一家體育聯盟企業，以加密貨幣向參賽運動員支付報酬。

“when I said ‘pay me in Bitcoin’, it was just the beginning

「當我說『用比特幣支付我』時，這只是一個開始

announcing: @playBITBALL. 12.10.24, Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi

宣布：@playBITBALL。 24.10.12，阿布達比阿納哈揚體育場

@bitcoinmenaconf ticket holders attend free,” Okung tweeted.

@bitcoinmenaconf 門票持有者免費參加，」Okung 在推特上說。

In 2021, Sean Culkin — a tight end with the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens — became the first NFL player to convert his entire NFL salary into Bitcoin upon joining the Kansas City Chiefs.

2021 年，洛杉磯閃電隊和巴爾的摩烏鴉隊的近端鋒肖恩·卡爾金 (Sean Culkin) 成為第一位在加入堪薩斯城酋長隊後將其全部 NFL 工資轉換為比特幣的 NFL 球員。

“I fully believe Bitcoin is the future of finance and I wanted to prove that I have real skin in the game,” Culkin said in April 2021.

「我完全相信比特幣是金融的未來，我想證明我在這場遊戲中擁有真正的利益，」卡爾金在 2021 年 4 月表示。

He was “not just trying to make a quick buck,” he added.

他補充說，他「不僅僅是想賺快錢」。

In March, he tweeted a shoutout to fellow crypto-bull Okung.

今年 3 月，他在推特上向加密貨幣大牛 Okung 表示感謝。

“Here’s to the crazy ones @RussellOkung,” Culkin tweeted.

「為那些瘋狂的人@RussellOkung 乾杯，」卡​​爾金在推特上寫道。

The former No. 1 draft pick signed with Blockfolio, a cryptocurrency portfolio tracking app, in 2021.

這位前狀元秀於 2021 年與加密貨幣投資組合追蹤應用程式 Blockfolio 簽約。

Lawrence, a quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, was rumored to have had his signing bonus paid entirely in cryptocurrency.

勞倫斯是傑克遜維爾美洲虎隊的四分衛，據傳他的簽約獎金完全是用加密貨幣支付的。

However, contrary to reports, that bonus was separate from his $24 million NFL deal. Misreporting led some to speculate that Lawrence lost $15 million due to the subsequent crypto market crash. Recall how the cryptocurrency market’s capitalization declined from $2.9 trillion in November 2021 to $798 billion at the end of 2022.

然而，與報導相反，這筆獎金與他 2400 萬美元的 NFL 合約是分開的。誤報導致一些人猜測勞倫斯因隨後的加密貨幣市場崩盤而損失了 1500 萬美元。回想一下加密貨幣市場的市值如何從 2021 年 11 月的 2.9 兆美元下降到 2022 年底的 7,980 億美元。

In reality, Lawrence’s NFL earnings remained untouched by the blockchain drama at the time.

事實上，勞倫斯的 NFL 收入並沒有受到當時區塊鏈戲劇的影響。

Before he was quarterback for the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers partnered with Cash App in late 2021, choosing to receive part of his NFL salary in Bitcoin.

在擔任紐約噴射機隊四分衛之前，亞倫羅傑斯 (Aaron Rodgers) 在 2021 年底與 Cash App 合作，選擇用比特幣接收他的部分 NFL 工資。

That year, Saquon Barkley, the New York Giants running back, announced he’d convert all his off-field income into Bitcoin, citing the importance of long-term wealth preservation.

那一年，紐約巨人隊跑衛薩奎恩巴克利（Saquon Barkley）宣布，他將把所有場外收入轉換成比特幣，理由是長期財富保值的重要性。

An honorable mention goes to Demario Davis — a linebacker with the New Orleans Saints — who reportedly declared that fiat currency is “inherently unfair and corrupted.”

值得一提的是德馬裡奧戴維斯（Demario Davis），他是新奧爾良聖徒隊的後衛，據報道他宣稱法定貨幣「本質上是不公平和腐敗的」。

Ultimately, he did not accept his NFL contract in Bitcoin. But in April this year, Davis expressed interest, calling it “the future of money.”

最終，他沒有接受用比特幣支付的 NFL 合約。但今年四月，戴維斯表達了興趣，稱其為「金錢的未來」。

“Grateful to @lipscomb and @BitcoinMagazine for having me come talk all things Bitcoin. Learn why Bitcoin is the future of money,” Davis tweeted.

「感謝@lipcomb 和@BitcoinMagazine 讓我來談論比特幣的所有事情。了解為什麼比特幣是貨幣的未來，」戴維斯在推特上寫道。

While these NFL stars made headlines

雖然這些 NFL 球星成為頭條新聞