NFL 球星和比特币热潮：高风险生意还是天才举动？

当 NFL 球星小奥德尔·贝克汉姆 (Odell Beckham Jr.) 决定对自己 2021 年的财务未来发表大胆声明时，他不仅抓住了机会，还掀起了比特币热潮。

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 球星小奥德尔·贝克汉姆 (Odell Beckham Jr.) 在 2021 年引起了轰动，当时他宣布他将用比特币 (BTC) 支付洛杉矶公羊队 2021-2022 赛季的全部工资。当时，比特币的交易价格为 57,400 美元。怀疑论者对此嗤之以鼻，认为此举是一次冒险的登月计划。但对于小贝克汉姆来说，这是一个“新时代”的开始。

“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.

“这是一个新时代，为了开启这个时代，我兴奋地宣布，感谢@CashApp，我将用比特币领取新的薪水。致我所有的粉丝，无论您身在何处：谢谢！我也将总共返还 100 万美元的 BTC。放下您的 $cashtag w。 #OBJBTC 并立即关注@CashApp，”小贝克汉姆在推特上写道。

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.

为了庆祝他的加密货币友好的薪水和转会到公羊队，他承诺通过 X（以前称为 Twitter）向粉丝赠送 100 万美元的比特币。粉丝们对他们新发现的数字财富感到兴奋，纷纷在推特上发表了“谢谢”。

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

快进到本月早些时候：小贝克汉姆明确表示他对自己的决定感到满意。

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

“🥱😌🚀”，小贝克汉姆于 12 月 5 日发推文。

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.

小贝克汉姆并不是唯一一个参与加密货币热潮的人。他只是热衷于将美元换成所谓数字黄金的 NFL 球员中的一员。

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 球星选择加密货币而非现金的情况。也许它们会激励您在 2023 年最终开始为退休储蓄。或不。也许只是不要告诉你的财务顾问。

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.

在小贝克汉姆之前的是拉塞尔·奥孔。 2020 年，这位进攻截锋在卡罗莱纳黑豹队 (Carolina Panthers) 受到热捧，他将 1300 万美元薪水的一半兑换成了比特币。

“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.

“用比特币支付”，Okung 的声明迅速走红，将他定位为 NFL 的加密货币先驱。他几乎不知道自己会在球场同行中激起一股区块链热情。

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

据报道，NFL 高管和财务顾问——甚至是他的母亲——试图阻止 Okung 涉足加密货币领域。但他的坚持得到了回报。

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

如今，他是 Bitball 的创始人之一，这是一家体育联盟企业，以加密货币向参赛运动员支付报酬。

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

“当我说‘用比特币支付我’时，这只是一个开始

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

宣布：@playBITBALL。 24.10.12，阿布扎比阿纳哈扬体育场

@bitcoinmenaconf ticket holders attend free,” Okung tweeted.

@bitcoinmenaconf 门票持有者免费参加，”Okung 发推文说。

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，洛杉矶闪电队和巴尔的摩乌鸦队的近端锋肖恩·卡尔金 (Sean Culkin) 成为第一位在加入堪萨斯城酋长队后将其全部 NFL 工资转换为比特币的 NFL 球员。

“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.

“我完全相信比特币是金融的未来，我想证明我在这场游戏中拥有真正的利益，”卡尔金在 2021 年 4 月表示。

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

他补充说，他“不仅仅是想赚快钱”。

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

今年 3 月，他在推特上向加密货币大牛 Okung 表示感谢。

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

“为疯狂的@RussellOkung 干杯，”卡尔金在推特上写道。

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

这位前状元秀于 2021 年与加密货币投资组合跟踪应用程序 Blockfolio 签约。

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

劳伦斯是杰克逊维尔美洲虎队的四分卫，据传他的签约奖金完全是用加密货币支付的。

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，与报道相反，这笔奖金与他 2400 万美元的 NFL 合同是分开的。误报导致一些人猜测劳伦斯因随后的加密货币市场崩盘而损失了 1500 万美元。回想一下加密货币市场的市值如何从 2021 年 11 月的 2.9 万亿美元下降到 2022 年底的 7980 亿美元。

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

事实上，劳伦斯的 NFL 收入并没有受到当时区块链戏剧的影响。

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.

在担任纽约喷气机队四分卫之前，亚伦·罗杰斯 (Aaron Rodgers) 于 2021 年底与 Cash App 合作，选择用比特币接收他的部分 NFL 工资。

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，纽约巨人队跑卫萨奎恩·巴克利（Saquon Barkley）宣布，他将把所有场外收入转换成比特币，理由是长期财富保值的重要性。

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.”

值得一提的是德马里奥·戴维斯（Demario Davis），他是新奥尔良圣徒队的后卫，据报道他宣称法定货币“本质上是不公平和腐败的”。

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

最终，他没有接受用比特币支付的 NFL 合同。但今年四月，戴维斯表达了兴趣，称其为“金钱的未来”。

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

“感谢@lipcomb 和@BitcoinMagazine 让我来谈论比特币的所有事情。了解为什么比特币是货币的未来，”戴维斯在推特上写道。

While these NFL stars made headlines

虽然这些 NFL 球星成为头条新闻