Mike Tyson, Lionel Messi, Jimmy Fallon Among Latest Celebs to Embrace NFTs

Who Can Even Afford These?

Given that the NFT craze has been characterized by a massive growth in prices of NFT artwork, some of the only folks who have the cash to be able to purchase them are celebrities. Alongside NFTs, there have been a number of famous people openly endorsing cryptocurrencies and other crypto projects. What exactly are the celebrity elites promoting? Do they know their stuff? Or is it just the latest passing fad?

Athletes

Among the most interesting sources of cryptocurrency support, a number of athletes are in support of cryptocurrency. Mike Tyson is one such athlete, and his iconic face tattoo has been spotted on Bitcoin ATMs. Tyson has also launched a pigeon themed NFT collection, based on his love of the species.

Argentinian footballer, Lionel Messi, is bullish on Bitcoin, and his holdings of the cryptocurrency have grown from $30 million to $250 million. Messi is so bullish on Bitcoin, he requested to have part of his contract paid in Bitcoin. The footballer clearly has his eyes on a future in the industry long after his athletic days are over. Messi’s career as an investor may prove to be as interesting to watch as his football career.

Actors

Host of the Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon, is a well known owner of a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT, which he has been sporting as his twitter avatar since last November. Game of Thrones actress, Maisie Williams, appears to have gone against the advice of her own twitter followers and decided to purchase Bitcoin even against their wishes. It seems like her investment has worked out as she bought around the time BTC was in the $18,000 range. Like a pro Bitcoin maximalist, Williams knows better than to simply follow the crowd.

Lindsay Lohan announced in 2021 the launch of a “furry” themed NFT of herself which quickly became a meme after it was first posted on Twitter. While the NFT was not minted until October of that year, the phrase “Lindsay Lohan Furry NFT” earned a lot of exposure since it was an absurdity that users did not expect to read about. The NFT sold for $1,649.33 at auction. This was not Lindsay Lohan’s first NFT launch, she had launched her first NFT in the form of her song Lullaby, an attempt to tap into millennial nostalgia.

Corporate World

Elon Musk, everyone’s favorite Bitcoin speculator, is a notorious hodler of Bitcoin and debatable price manipulator of the currency. While Musk’s history with Bitcoin and Dogecoin has been interesting to follow, he does appear committed to his long Bitcoin position. Musk has also been concerned about the causes and impact of inflation recently, a motivator for many cryptocurrency holders and Bitcoiners especially.

Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter.com, minted his first ever tweet as an NFT. Alongside this, he has been bullish for Bitcoin for quite a while. Dorsey’s involvement in cryptocurrency is wide ranging, and he has since shifted his focus from social media into the DeFI sector. Currently, Dorsey is running several projects including but not limited to Block, a hardware wallet the tech mogul has since moved onto since leaving Twitter. Dorsey has also partnered with Jay-Z to bring Bitcoin to Africa and India. Dorsey is expanding his Block platform to include a new, currently unnamed cryptocurrency exchange with transparency as a key target.

Musicians

Snoop Dogg’s adventurous business sense has taken him to the world of NFTs, which he has taken to like a fish to water. While Snoop’s history with NFTs began with a collection based on his own experiences called “A Journey with the Dogg”, the rapper has since taken the field by storm. As of this February, Snoop Dogg is going all in on NFTs by announcing that Death Row Records will be the first NFT based music label.

Kanye West revealed his support for Bitcoin on the Joe Rogan podcast in 2020. West appears to be a Bitcoin maximalist, referring to the community as “the true liberation of America and humanity”.

Grimes was keen on the NFT craze early on and took the opportunity to launch her “warnymph” collection, which was inspired by her fifth album, Miss Anthropocene. Her first NFT collection sold for $6 million dollars and was an early example of just how much NFTs were worth.

Conclusions: Who Knows Where NFTs Go From Here

A wide variety of celebrities and popular figures are involved in the crypto space. Most of them lean towards Bitcoin as their preferred cryptocurrency of choice, although there are more adventurous types than the ones mentioned today. Celebrities know their brand and audience well enough to capitalize on the opportunity to create digital collectables. These collectibles may not only retain value, but continue to provide them with a revenue stream in the form of royalties embedded into smart contracts.

Regardless of the finer details of an individual celebrity’s involvement in the crypto sector, they’re taking an interest in the growing movement and growing profits.