Celebrities and crypto adoption

March 2nd, 2022

Dolly Parton debuts the 'Dollyverse' to the metaverse

Dolly Parton has launched the "Dollyverse," her first entry into the metaverse, in a new collaboration with FOX Entertainment's Blockchain Creative Labs and New York Times best-selling novelist James Patterson.

At this month's South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, Parton will unveil non-fungible tokens (NFTs), a book, a music album, and a performance.

Parton announced that she plans to create "Dolly-inspired NFT artwork" and audio NFTs for the upcoming album. NFTs are unique blockchain-based tokens that represent ownership of digital assets.

Eluvio and FOX Entertainment's Blockchain Creative Labs are creating the Dollyverse. During SXSW, Eluvio's Content Fabric proof-of-authority consensus blockchain will host the Dollyverse NFTs and live-streamed concert. Parton's NFTs are Ethereum-compatible.

Parton said in a statement, "I'm almost always up for trying something new and different." "I'd say releasing NFTs at my first ever appearance at SXSW, with James Patterson by my side, definitely counts as new and different!"

The collaboration with Patterson involved writing Run, Rose, Run, a story about a Nashville singer-songwriter on the run. Additionally, Parton wrote and produced a music album for the project.

Run, Rose, Run is the tale of an aspiring artist who makes her way to Nashville only to discover that her past is still haunting her. In this novel, Patterson incorporates his trademarks of mystery and suspense, as well as setting it in the country music scene Parton has been a part of for decades.

With Dollyverse, Parton joins a growing group of musicians launching NFTs and creating their own metaverses. For instance, South Korean pop group Blackpink has used the metaverse for fan meet-and-greets, while rap icon Snoop Dogg unveiled the "Snoopverse," where fans can access private parties and Q&As with him.

Nike, Gucci, and Coca-Cola have all entered the metaverse pool, launching virtual stores to sell sneakers, providing areas for virtual avatars to try on new outfits, and auctioning NFTs that look like vending machines.

DJ Steve Aoki recently stated that he earned more money in NFTs than he made in a decade of music accomplishments, showcasing how profitable the Web3 space might be.

Parton isn't letting NFTs pass her by, and she'll be releasing "Dolly-inspired NFT artwork" as well as NFTs linked to her upcoming album.

January 6th, 2022

Rap Star Nas Sells 2 Tracks as NFTs on DJ 3LAU's Royal Network

American rap legend and songwriter Nas is selling limited rights to two of his songs via 3LAU's investment network Royal.

American legendary rapper and songwriter, Nas, is selling partial rights to two of his songs through the platform Royal, an investment network that enables anyone to own a slice of their best music to earn royalties beside the artist.

Royal CEO and co-founder Justin David Blau alias 3LAU said, "Having Nas be the first artist to sell royalty rights through Royal is an incredible affirmation of our mission."

3LAU added, "It's proof that artists across genres feel strongly about democratizing ownership of their music, and that they want to be connected to their listeners on a deeper level."

The legendary rapper is equally as optimistic.

Nas said, "I am always looking for new and unique ways to connect with my fans, so I am excited to partner with Royal on their new endeavor in order for my fans to connect with my music in a new way."

Demystifying Nas' Royal deal

The initial sale begins on January 11, where fans can invest in the artists' music by acquiring LDAs (limited digital assets), supported by streaming royalty rights. A Royal's representative for Royal was quoted saying that LDAs are Royal's "extended standard of non-fungible tokens"—usually a Polygon-based non-fungible token with extra capabilities, for instance, streaming rights.

Such songs include "Ultra Black," the lead single from the famed artist's 2021 album King's Disease, and a track from "Rare," a song according to the 2022 album, King's Disease II.

The two singles have been launched by Nas' authentic label Mass Appeal.

For the past few years, Nas has been in partnership with Royal, for instance, Last November, the famed artist joined The Chainsmockers in a $55 million funding for the music investment network.

Breaking down Royal

The investment platform describes itself as "redefining music ownership for Web3," is backed by a plethora of investors including Andreessen Horowitz.

Last October, 3LAU offered 50% of the streaming rights to one of his singles, the "Worst Case."

Since the single's general is estimated at $12 million, it implies that fans own approx. $6 million worth of the streaming rights to the 3LAU song.

Early 2021, 3LAU sold a whole music album for $11 million or 33 NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain using the Origin Protocol's DShop, which is a marketplace created on Ethereum and the InterPlanetary Filing System.

November 23rd, 2021

NFL Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to Take Paycheck in Bitcoin

NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. will take his new salary in bitcoin. The receiver transferred from Cleveland Browns to Los Angeles Rams earlier this month. The athlete could accumulate approx. $4.5 million in Bitcoin in his twelve-month contract with the Rams.

National Football League (NFL) wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will accept his new salary in Bitcoin through an agreement with Cash App, the star disclosed the deal on Twitter. He recently ditched the Cleveland Browns for the Los Angeles Rams.

He stated in his tweet, "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." Beckham added that he is also giving away about $1 million in Bitcoin to fans who share their Cash App usernames in the statement's comments section.

The receiver is the latest NFL athlete to disclose paycheck in Bitcoin, a decision that could create him more than $4.5 million in Bitcoin in twelve months. A few weeks ago, Green Bay Packers quarterback icon, Aaron Rodgers announced that he would take a share of his salary in Bitcoin via a partnership with Cash App. Rodgers earns approx. $33.5 million, thus, his 4-year contract with the Packers is valued at $134 million.

Forbes reported that Rodgers' team was among those looking to sign Beckham following a transfer window created by the Browns when they released him in early November. Not just the Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and New Orleans Saints were also interested. The report discloses that the receiver will team up with Cooper Kupp in the Rams. Kupp tops the NFL in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in a one-year contract.

Sports athletes and teams globally are taking advantage of the increased awareness of BTC and the strong recognition of purchasing power it can offer. Following Beckham and Rodgers' announcements, Saquon Barkley and Sean Culkin heeded Russel Okung's early move in 2020. In September this year, quarterback legend Tom Brady announced his interest in being paid in BTC.

November 5th, 2021

Jordan Peterson Accumulates More Bitcoin

The best-selling author purchased more Bitcoin following a conversation with Seifedean Ammous, who is the author of the bitcoin standard.

Dr. Saifedean Ammous, author of "The Fiat Standard" and "The Bitcoin Standard," joined Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, best-selling author, clinical psychologist, and host of The JBP Podcast, to discuss economics, incentives, money, Bitcoin, decentralization, and fiat currency.

Peterson stated in a tweet, "Learned a lot," following the conversation with Ammous. He added, "Bought some more bitcoin. Inflation be damned."

My pleasure. Learned a lot. Bought some more Bitcoin. Inflation be damned.

— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) November 16, 2021

Ammous discussed many of the variations of Bitcoin, including its economic and technology dynamics, explaining more on reasons why the monetary system is distinct. The author of "The Fiat Standard," a follow-up to his popular work "The Bitcoin Standard," discussed in detail in a beginner-friendly fashion, arguing sophisticated topics into more simple concepts.

Peterson asked philosophical questions, which were explained in detail during the conversation. Many of his concerns resonate with new users, who usually try to bemuse through the uniqueness of Bitcoin and why it is the solution for many challenges society currently encounters.

While explaining how the monetary platform manages to be an authentically decentralized one compared to other projects, Ammous said, "There are no insiders on Bitcoin." He said, "Bitcoin only has users...no admins. There is nobody with a master key."

The idea that any user is treated equally by the Bitcoin network is revolutionary and powerful. All of the systems currently in use, based on fiat currencies, enable sanctions and discrimination to be enforced randomly. The distinct way Bitcoin was developed, which Ammous calls "the immaculate conception," enabled it to thrive organically and become the antifragile, distributed monetary platform that it is today.

When comparing Bitcoin to the many other crypto projects, Ammous said, "At the end of the day, what makes me pay attention to Bitcoin is that it is neutral money that nobody can control," In addition to debating the basic aspects of Bitcoin, Ammous and Peterson also discussed the qualities of the current monetary system based on fiat currencies and debt. Ammous reviewed the current mainstream economic views, including that of governments and central banks, as opposed to Bitcoin's structuring.

Ammous said, "From the mainstream perspective...money is the creation of the state and the only question is what is the state's role in the management of money." He added, "But from the Austrian perspective, money is a product of the market and not the invention of the state. The state's meddling in money...is irrational and cannot succeed for the same reasons central planning does not succeed and is also the root cause of the majority of economic problems that all economists are concerned with."

November 5th, 2021

Did Joe Rogan accept a bitcoin payment

Joe Rogan, the world's leading podcaster and comedian, may have authorized a Bitcoin payment of approximately $100,000. The MMA commentator and podcast host has previously talked about Bitcoin on his show and has also hosted interviews with reputable Bitcoiners. Accepting Bitcoin as payment marks a milestone on his part.

During episode #1728 of the Joe Rogan Experience, comedian and frequent guest Ari Shaffir bragged to fellow comedians Shane Gillis and Mark Normand that, "Joe got a deal for over 100,000 dollars."

Joe deflected by saying, "It's not American money," and blushed off his friends saying, "It's all in Bitcoin.

NEW: Joe Rogan accepts $100k in #Bitcoin

Episode #1728, 56 min 30 sec — Alex McShane

If this statement is any indication of Rogan's move on Bitcoin, and if it is indeed verified that he accepted more than 1.5 BTC by the current price, the event marks a change in his understanding of the world's leading store of value.

Previously, Rogan has brushed off Bitcoin on his show calling it a "Ponzi scheme," which is a common misconception often expressed by people when criticizing the success of Bitcoin's early adopters, before researching the composition of the uncontrolled, ungovernable digital asset.

However, Rogan is renowned for frequently revising his topics and opinions throughout the episodes when offered the right information.

For instance, in a February 2019 episode when he hosted Jack Dorsey, the Twitter and Square CEO, and an avid promoter of Bitcoin, Joe stated, "One of the things that's kind of cool about the Cash App is that you can buy and sell Bitcoin with it."

During the show, Rogan asked Dorsey whether he would permit other cryptocurrencies apart from Bitcoin to be traded on Twitter. Dorsey then briefed Rogan on how Bitcoin is likely to become the native currency of the internet, the evaluations that have strengthened it, and what is likely to boost the crypto to becoming an international store of value as well as a reserve asset.

September 22nd, 2021

Tom Brady discloses he is Open for a Crypto Payment

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady stated he'd "love to request" a crypto payment in either Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana.

Tom Brady, the Seven-time Super Bowl winner and the quarterback for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has expressed interest in paying part of his income in cryptocurrencies.

Brady made the statement on a SiriusXM interview earlier this week, "I'd love to request that to get paid in some cryptocurrency and, you know, to get paid in some Bitcoin or Ethereum or Solana tokens."

In a tweet, Tom said:

New episode of "Let's Go!" with the best in the business, @JimGrayOfficial, is out now. We're talking more than just Week 2! https://t.co/PgPkLOPBtR pic.twitter.com/CWCyY0RRNe

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) September 21, 2021

"I think it's an amazing thing that's happening in the world with the way the world is becoming more digital. And these digital currencies, along with a lot of, if you look how the way the world is going, with all these different digital mediums and how they're impacting currencies," Tom added.

This isn't his first attempt into the crypto world. In June, Tom and his wife Gisele Bündchen invested in FTX, a crypto exchange operated by Sam Bankman-Fried.

"It's an incredibly exciting time in the crypto world and Sam and the revolutionary FTX team continue to open my eyes to the endless possibilities," Tom said at the time.

In the crypto market, the crypto exchange's association with Solana is popular.

For instance, in January, Bankman-Fried offered an investor who was bearish on Solana $3 per token to purchase all of his SOL tokens. Even though the trader turned down Bankman-offer, Fried's, the FTX CEO, remained optimistic over the Solana project.

"Think of me basically as a fanboy. I think it's a really cool product," Bankman-Fried said in August, adding that "of the currently existing blockchains, it is maybe the only one, or at least one of the very few, which is being built in a way that it has a really plausible chance of eventually being able to host gigantic applications."

Brady is hardly the only National Football League player to show interest in crypto in recent months.

Russell Okung, an offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers, started changing half of his NFL salary into BTC in December 2020.

Also, following in his footsteps, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Sean Culkin stated in April this year that he would sell his NFL income for bitcoin.

Franchises from the NFL are also getting involved. The New York Football Giants announced in May this year collaboration with digital asset management company Grayscale.