NFL Star Russell Okung Will Not Receive Paycheck in Bitcoin
NFL Player Russell Okung will receive half of his $13 million salary in Bitcoin. The move has been enabled via Bitcoin startup Strike.
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Russell Okung, who plays offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers, claimed to be getting paid in Bitcoin. Later reports indicated, however, that this was not true and he may have merely been promoting the crypto startup, Strike.
Not “Paid in Bitcoin”
Okung claimed to receive 50% of his $13 million salary in BTC, and the Bitcoin payments startup Strike would facilitate the payment. This may indeed be true, but the transaction is not facilitated in any way by his employer, the Carolina Panthers, nor the National Football Association (NFL).
He first expressed interest in receiving his paycheck in the digital currency in May 2019, when he tweeted the succinct phrase “Pay me in Bitcoin.”
Okung added to the most recent confusion by vaguely claiming that he had been “paid in Bitcoin.”
Paid in Bitcoin. https://t.co/Ey6oOcmLjA
— OKUNG 🐆 (@RussellOkung) December 29, 2020
BTC is up 273% since Okung’s initial tweet. He’s also become a vocal proponent of digital currencies.
Following his tweet, he posted a further update encouraging others to receive their paycheck in crypto. “Do it, now.” he wrote.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated on Jan. 1, 2021, at 12:00 pm UTC to reflect that Russell Okung is not being paid in Bitcoin by his employer, the Carolina Panthers, nor the National Football Association (NFL).
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