Sports players, movie stars, models, musicians; the gang’s all here, with more celebrities entering the blockchain space with each passing month. Will that trend continue in 2023?
The crypto world is still developing at lightning speed. The adoption of projects built on blockchain technology has increased tremendously in 2022, and this is partly due to the celebrities who have contributed to it. Thanks to these well-known people, crypto-related projects have reached a large audience, through their social media accounts and the many news outlets that wrote about them.
The developments in cryptocurrencies, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and metaverse platforms have led to new ways people can make money and alternative methods to consume art and entertainment. They have also led to innovative ways people can communicate and interact with one another online. For example, people can even connect with their idols in this digital meeting place. But are there any celebrities left in the crypto world? In this article, you can discover all the celebrity activities in 2022.
Are NFTs hype or still in demand?
Many celebrities were active in the field of NFTs in 2022. This digital proof of ownership of unique items recorded on the blockchain was used for various purposes. For example, Muse, an English band, released an NFT album, with only 1,000 NFTs available. In addition to NFTs representing musical property, celebrities mainly focus on digital images as NFTs.
For example, in 2022, boxer Floyd Mayweather launched his NFT collection Mayweverse, which comprises 5,000 unique NFTs. In addition to launching their own NFT collections, many celebrities were also used to promote other collections. For example, the Lucky Block NFT collection was promoted by model Jamie Jewitt and boxer Dillian Whyte.
After many months of hard work
I’m launching my new NFT Project @mayweverse⁰
The collection will have 5,000 NFTs (5 different NFTs cards of 1,000 each).Each card has a different rarity, utilities & prizes.
More information on the roadmap will be announced soon.
Stay Tuned pic.twitter.com/SxZ916p0HP
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) March 21, 2022
In addition, Cristiano Ronaldo partnered with Binance in 2022. The Portuguese star soccer player will launch his own NFT collection on the exchange’s NFT marketplace. This collection captures Ronaldo’s legacy on the blockchain, and it is not excluded that more collections will be launched in the future.
Coming soon, exclusively on #Binance:
The @Cristiano Ronaldo NFT collection.
Sign up with Referral ID ‘RONALDO’ for a surprise after the drop goes live!
— Binance (@binance) November 15, 2022
Celebrities and their interest in BAYC NFTs
The Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT collection launched in 2021 and grew into a very popular project in a short period of time. This was partly because many celebrities invested in the project. Even in 2022, it was found that celebrities are still willing to pay hefty sums for a JPEG. For example, Brazilian soccer player Neymar bought two BAYC NFTs in the first month of 2022.
He was not the only celebrity, as Paris Hilton also managed to get a copy from the collection in the same month. However, hodling is not in every celebrity’s dictionary, as some celebrities also sold their BAYC NFT in 2022. For example, American football player Andrew Sendejo sold his BAYC NFT in February 2022, and Shaquille O’Neil followed suit a few months later by selling his Mutant Ape.
I am an ape! #community #art #BoredApeYC pic.twitter.com/iOe3E0H2t6
— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) January 20, 2022
Is the metaverse still popular in 2022?
In the fall of 2021, there was a lot of hype surrounding metaverse platforms as Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was being rebranded as Meta and the company was focusing on the next iteration of the internet. As a result, various metaverse-related cryptocurrencies skyrocketed and interest among celebrities rose along with the price.
The metaverse, also known as the virtual world, is an increasingly popular concept where people can move and socialize in digital environments. In 2022, several celebrities were found to be active in the metaverse and have created their own unique digital avatars.
In addition, investing in the metaverse also continues to interest several celebrities. Phil Jones, a Manchester United English defender who has barely seen the soccer field for over three seasons, invested in the metaverse in 2022. Together with the media platform Antourage, the footballer launched his own metaverse project.
David Beckham, another English soccer player, who also played for Manchester United, has found his way into the metaverse. David Beckham became a 2022 ambassador for DigitalBits, a blockchain platform that focuses on various blockchain applications.
Sergio Kun Agüero, another famous soccer player, entered the metaverse in 2022. The former footballer of Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and the Argentina national team has launched his own metaverse experience. This was done in collaboration with The Sandbox (SAND). Agüero’s metaverse, called the Kuniverse, is a perfect opportunity for fans to meet their idol. There are also special NFTs that you can use in this metaverse, with the collection totaling 9,320 Kun NFTs.
⚽ AGÜEROOOOOOO ⚽
Delighted to welcome none other than @aguerosergiokun to The Sandbox! The will hold football-themed games, dancing and many more surprises!
Stay tuned for more… pic.twitter.com/ewj71bAPEf
— The Sandbox (@TheSandboxGame) October 6, 2022
Concerts in the metaverse
The metaverse is a unique venue for fans and artists to interact. As a result, concerts in the metaverse are immensely popular, with numerous concerts and other activities featuring celebrities in 2022.
An example of one such celebrity is pop star Taylor Swift, who held her own digital concerts in the metaverse in 2022. Fans can create their own avatars and go to the virtual concerts to listen to Taylor and interact with other fans.
Popular gaming platforms, such as Roblox and Fortnite, are also keeping up with technological developments and regularly host concerts. For example, Charli XCX filmed a concert at Roblox on June 17, 2022. The British singer and songwriter, who was born Charlotte Emma Aitchison in 1992, has become known for her electronic music and has released several successful singles and albums.
In addition, there have been several Hypetype Metaverse Concerts in 2022 attended by many celebrities. These concerts included performances by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Wolfpack and Thai rapper BamBam.
omg i’m nominated for a vma for my absolutely iconic, godly, next level roblox performance: obviously. what can i say, i stay slaying pic.twitter.com/Orc2uZ8rUW
— Charli (@charli_xcx) July 27, 2022
What celebrities were involved in cryptocurrencies in 2022?
Despite the crypto market being hugely bearish in 2022, there are still celebrities who are confident in cryptocurrencies. For example, Mike Tyson, the famous boxer and former world heavyweight champion, has expressed his interest in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. He has joined the Solana Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to Solana development and adoption, and advertises several projects built on the Solana blockchain.
Solana Autumn > Solana Summer
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) September 22, 2022
On the other hand, plenty of celebrities also got rid of their crypto investments in 2022. For example, Tesla, Elon Musk’s company, sold a large amount of Bitcoin in 2022. Back in March 2022, Musk said he was not going to sell Bitcoin (BTC), but a few months later, he sold 75% of his Bitcoin holdings.
Because second-quarter profits were down and the Shanghai factory had to be closed, Musk did not want to take any chances. Both the developments at Tesla and the falling price of Bitcoin meant that Musk saw no other way out but to sell much of the position.
These developments are in stark contrast to the events of 2021, where Musk turned the crypto market completely upside down. In early 2021, he announced that Tesla had purchased $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. This news caused Bitcoin’s price to explode. In addition to the positive effect on Bitcoin’s price, Musk was also one of the causes of the hard fall a few months later. His criticism of the energy consumption of the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus system that Bitcoin runs on caused the price to drop by half.
You can now buy a Tesla with Bitcoin
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2021
The next co-founder to leave Ethereum
Not only did celebrities sell their cryptocurrencies, but a well-known person within the crypto landscape also announced his departure. Anthony Di Iorio is one of the co-founders of Ethereum and has announced that he is leaving the crypto world.
However, in the fall of 2022, Di Iorio announced his new challenge in blockchain technology. With his company, called Andiami, he wants to promote decentralization through hardware. This makes Di Iorio the next co-founder to leave Ethereum. In the past, Charles Hoskinson, Gavin Wood and Joseph Lubin preceded him. They founded Cardano, Polkadot and Infura, respectively.
Following up on a post by @TaylorGerring, here's a few of the crew in the Miami house 8 years ago when we officially announced #Ethereum #ETH @ethereumJoseph @VitalikButerin @IOHK_Charles @gavofyork Amir Chetrit @MihaiAlisie pic.twitter.com/zMFmKrA33w
— Anthony Di Iorio (@diiorioanthony) January 27, 2022
What celebrities are involved in the FTX debacle?
Not only did Musk partially withdraw from the crypto market but so did a group of celebrities who were ambassadors for the FTX exchange. Big names, such as Stephen Curry and Tom Brady, were associated with the bankrupt FTX exchange. Brady and his partner, Gisele Bündchen, even invested in FTX.
In addition to Curry, Brady and Bündchen, Naomi Osaka, Larry David, Udonis Haslem, David Ortiz, William Trevor Lawrence, Shohei Ohtani and Kevin O’Leary were also involved with the exchange as FTX ambassadors. FTX has been a sponsor of several sporting events, so the link to a lot of top athletes is also quickly established.
Whether these celebrities will leave the crypto world behind cannot be said with complete certainty. However, O’Leary has made it known in the past that he invests in cryptocurrencies. In addition, Curry has released his own NFT collection and also owns a BAYC NFT.
Bitcoin is not just a coin or currency, it’s a software. Institutions like to criticize me for investing in Bitcoin, but how I see it, if you hold big positions in companies like Microsoft or Yahoo, it’s all the same.
— Kevin O'Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) February 20, 2022
