A little more than a half-decade ago, we started hearing more about pro athletes investing in cryptocurrencies. Not long after, reports of big names converting salaries and endorsement money into crypto began trickling out into the mainstream. The trend has only picked up in the intervening years.
All of which has left many asking: What gives?
The question is fair. And it persists even when factoring in increased accessibility. More and more consumer-facing industries accept crypto as a form of payment. Retail stores, entertainment companies, even some restaurants—the list goes on. Any transactions taking place online can essentially be completed using crypto. And if it’s not widely accepted, there are always easy-to-find niche options that specialize in it. Need to book airline fare or a hotel using crypto? There are websites for that. Are you a sports fan who likes to place the occasional bet? As an exhaustive evaluate process over at MyTopSportsbooks shows, there are online sites specializing in crypto wagers. You can even use crypto for stock market investments.
Yet, increased access and usage is only one reason why pro athletes are allocating larger portions of their incomes to cryptocurrencies. And it isn’t the primary reason. What is, exactly? Read on to find out.
For Pro Athletes, Cryptocurrency is Mostly About Expanding and Creating Generational Wealth
In most cases, pro athletes do not necessarily view cryptocurrency as a spending tool. That’s why you very rarely see someone convert their entire salary to it. Almost all of them instead view it as an investment opportunity—and a lucrative one at that.
Sure, the crypto markets can be turbulent. But the potential return on investment is worth the risk profile for many.
Take Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, as an example. Dramatic ebbs and flows are not just common. They are the expectation. But the peak of its value continues to grow. In fact, as Juan Galt of Bitcoin Magazine writes, some experts believe Bitcoin will hit $150,000 before the end of 2026:
“Epoch, a venture firm specializing in Bitcoin infrastructure, issued its second annual ecosystem report on January 21, 2026, forecasting robust growth for the asset despite a subdued 2025 performance. The 186-page document analyzes Bitcoin’s price dynamics, adoption trends, regulatory outlook, and technological risks, positioning the cryptocurrency as a maturing monetary system. Key highlights include a prediction that Bitcoin will reach at least $150,000 USD by year-end, driven by institutional inflows and decoupling from equities. The report also anticipates the Clarity Act failing to pass, though its substance on asset taxonomy and regulatory authority may advance through SEC guidance. Additional forecasts cover gold rotations boosting Bitcoin by 50 percent, major asset managers allocating 2 percent to model portfolios, and Bitcoin Core maintaining implementation dominance.”
Entering the start of February 2026, Bitcoin’s price sits just north of $80,000. So, these projections have its value nearly doubling over the course of the year. And who doesn’t want a nearly 100 percent growth factor on their investment in such a short amount of time?
Indeed, these returns are not guaranteed. Like we said, Bitcoin’s value fluctuates. According to Yahoo Finance, the 52-week low for it checked in around $74,400. Its 52-week high, meanwhile, clocked in above $126,000. That is a huge variance.
Still, if you have the stomach to ride out the roller coaster long term, your initial investment could bring back gaga-eyed returns. It comes as no surprise, then, that millionaire athletes with disposable income and the means to ride out troughs until a new peak is reached are turning to crypto to increase their wealth.
Which Pro Athletes First Popularized Converting Salaries To Cryptocurrency?
Reporting on which big-name athletes convert earnings to crypto is no longer as robust. That’s how much it’s been normalized. It is not a newsworthy decision anymore. It’s run-of-the-mill.
This naturally raises the question of who’s responsible for taking the trend mainstream. Bitcoin Magazine singles out a handful of names who will be remembered as trendsetters.
“NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. famously converted his $750,000 base salary and $500,000 bonus from the Los Angeles Rams into Bitcoin back in 2021. While the move was controversial at the time due to volatility, Bitcoin’s resurgence above $100,000 in 2025 has put Beckham back in the spotlight, with his compensation now worth roughly $2.17 million. Similarly, Russell Okung paved the way in 2020 by taking half of his $13 million salary in Bitcoin. That portion – about $6.5 million at the time – has since ballooned to nearly $20 million. And running back Saquon Barkley shifted his $10 million in annual endorsement income entirely into Bitcoin, citing it as a hedge against inflation and a long-term wealth strategy. Basketball stars like Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have also joined the list of high-profile athletes embracing Bitcoin reflecting a new era of financial freedom in sports.”
Pro basketball player Spencer Dinwiddie deserves a callout here as well. While he was playing with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, he was very open about his cryptocurrency investments. His interest predates even the COVID pandemic. He famously became the first NBA player to convert a portion of his salary to crypto all the way back in 2019.
Fast forward to 2026, and the practice is far more common. While we wouldn’t go as far as calling it an expectation of any big-name athlete, at this point, it’d be difficult to find any who have not at least considered entering the crypto game. And after seeing how much of a profit you stand to turn if you have the gall to gut out the wild swings, it’s not hard to understand why.
