The crypto ecosystem managed to maintain a year-long focus throughout 2021, overshadowing the glory of previous years. The mainstream adoption of Bitcoin, the memecoin craze fueled by Shiba Inu and Dogecoin, and the active participation of popular celebrities and pundits are all key catalysts.
In 2021, more influencers and celebrities are entering the field than ever before. From mainstream tech entrepreneurs and presidents to rappers and reality TV stars, celebrities are getting involved in the crypto space in their own unique ways. Some chose to create their own versions of crypto ecosystems and tokens, while others helped spread awareness of various projects.
In honor of all those involved in the crypto world, let’s take a look at some of the most influential celebrities who have left their mark on the crypto ecosystem, in no particular order.
Snoop Dogg
Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg has been an early adopter and promoter of technology and lifestyle merchandise. A bit late, the musician has entered the crypto space with an NFT collaborative project called “Decentralized Dogg.”
Snoop's mainstream popularity has also led many token creators to market Snoop Dogg-branded cryptocurrencies over the past few years, but the musician warned investors against getting involved in such projects.
Nayib Bukele
As President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele has been a leader in the mainstream adoption of Bitcoin as a fiat currency. In addition to playing an important role in legalizing Bitcoin and building related infrastructure to support the Bitcoin economy, Bukele is active on Twitter announcing various Bitcoin-based initiatives of his government.
Despite his initial vehement opposition to the use of bitcoin, Bukele now buys bitcoin whenever its market value drops. Complementing this move, the government of El Salvador has been reinvesting unrealized gains in bitcoin to accelerate the development of the Central American country.
Elon Musk
Back in 2020, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk began publicly supporting Dogecoin, thereby leaving his mark on the crypto space. However, Musk continued to show support for the memecoin by promising to accept DOGE payments for various products and services his company offers.
Due to Musk’s support, the market price of the DOGE token has skyrocketed several times, even though it was created to mock the crypto ecosystem. The popularity of DOGE has also spawned dog-based memecoins, of which Shiba Inucoin (SHIB) is the most prominent.
Watch: Time's 2021 Person of the Year Elon Musk Discusses Cryptocurrencies
— TIME (@TIME) December 13, 2021
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka, a top professional tennis player from Japan, has announced her entry into the crypto space after noticing the hype surrounding Dogecoin and diversifying her cryptocurrency portfolio.
The crypto community on Twitter drives the adoption of cryptocurrencies in Osaka. The athlete has also initiated and promoted various NFT projects, and in the process, she set the record for the most expensive NFT sold by a professional tennis player.
lionel messi
International soccer legend Lionel Messi is one of the most high-profile players to connect with the crypto ecosystem in 2021. When Messi signed with Paris Saint-Germain, part of his salary included payment in the club's fan tokens.
Fan Tokens are part of a growing sub-ecosystem designed to increase fan engagement by giving fans weight in certain club decisions. Some other popular football clubs have also launched fan tokens, such as Manchester City FC and AC Milan FC.
mark Zuckerberg
Since Facebook released the white paper of the Libra cryptocurrency in 2019, people have been expecting Zuckerberg to enter the encryption field. Despite pressure from the federal government to end the encryption experiment, he rebranded his social media company, Facebook, to Meta on Oct. 28, positioning it as an early bird in the budding Metaverse ecosystem.
Meta envisions the development of a centralized Metaverse world that can serve as a source of income for online creators. Following in Zuckerberg's footsteps, major tech giants including Microsoft, Epic Games, and Alibaba have begun exploring business opportunities in the Metaverse ecosystem.
Announcing Meta, the new name for Facebook Inc. Meta is helping to build the Metaverse, a place where we will play and connect in 3D. Welcome to the next chapter in Social Connections.
— Meta (@Meta) October 28, 2021
kim kardashian
Kim Kardashian has also jumped on the buzz surrounding cryptocurrencies this year. The reality TV star marked her entry into the crypto space by promoting the untested crypto token Ethereum Max (EMAX) on her official Instagram account.
While moves to market (or rather, childcare) cryptocurrencies have become common practice among influencers of all groups, Kardashian's involvement in promoting EMAX backfired, according to the Financial Conduct Authority. (FCA) accused her of misleading fans by promoting a speculative token. The FCA also pointed out that scammers pay influencers to facilitate get-rich-quick schemes, often ending up running off with investors' money.
Kim Kardashian has also used her Instagram account to promote physical bitcoin chips at charity poker nights.
Soulja Boy
American rapper Soulja Boy is one of the most active celebrities on crypto Twitter in 2021. From tweeting his support for cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin to selling NFTs of the "Crank That" brand, Soulja Boy makes sure his presence is felt throughout the crypto community.
The hip-hop star publicly revealed his altcoins such as BNB and TRX. Back in 2018, Soulja Boy released a song called "Bitcoin."
While the rapper's inclusion was welcomed by the community, he quickly sparked controversy when he allegedly revealed he was paid to promote a yet-to-be-founded crypto project.
paris hilton
Paris Hilton joins the NFT wave in 2021. Although she appears to be a latecomer, Hilton claims that she invested in Bitcoin and Ethereum back when BTC was worth less than $1,000.
Additionally, the American celebrity also tweeted about her two new pets, named "Crypto Hilton" and "Ether Reum."
I'm very excited about NFTs! Here's why I think NFTs are the future and everything you need to know to get in the game!
— Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) April 7, 2021
Magnus Carlsen
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is one of the young celebrities spearheading crypto adoption through various chess-centric events and initiatives. In a partnership with Chess Champs, a marketplace for NFT collectibles, Carlsen and other professional chess players compete for NFT trophies and cash prizes in bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
The move to bring the chess community to cryptocurrencies has been largely driven by FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried. The Norwegian chess player is also the world's first Bitcoin chess champion, winning over 0.6 BTC in addition to winning cash prizes in the FTX-hosted tournament.
special mention
Unlike in previous years, when crypto entrepreneurs and enthusiasts did most of the heavy lifting, mainstream celebrities were responsible for promoting cryptocurrencies by minting and selling NFTs — participating in events hosted in the Metaverse, promoting token offerings or Simply show support by buying Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
With this in mind, let’s remember some other big names who have gone deep into the crypto space. Those specifically mentioned include:
randy zuckerberg
If the name sounds familiar to you, that's because it is. Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, entered the crypto space in November by joining cryptocurrency exchange Okcoin as a member of the brand's advisory board.
Randi also posted a video on YouTube titled "What are memecoins and tokens in cryptocurrency?" where she discusses the development of DOGE and SHIB and provides her audience with tips on making sound crypto investments. guide.
indian film actor
2021 is a remarkable year for mass exposure to cryptocurrencies for India, as mainstream players are involved in numerous advertising campaigns and cryptocurrency promotions.
Local crypto exchanges such as CoinDCX, WazirX and ZebPay are driving greater penetration of cryptocurrencies in the market of more than 1.3 billion people. These companies have partnered with influential celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan to facilitate crypto transactions and purchases.
On the other hand, members of the Indian government have proposed an anti-crypto bill that seeks to ban all private cryptocurrencies across the board without clarifying what the word “private” means. India remains in a gray area when it comes to deciding the legality of cryptocurrencies.
Formula One World Championship
The 2021 Formula One World Championship has seen increased participation in the crypto community as companies such as Crypto.com, FuturoCoin, Bitci.com, Socios.com, and Tezos sponsor teams and support their environmental and welfare programs.
Previously, the crypto community has successfully organized several crowdfunding campaigns to help NASCAR drivers return to the field and participate in professional events.
Cointelegraph Chinese is a blockchain news information platform, and the information provided only represents the author's personal opinion, has nothing to do with the position of the Cointelegraph Chinese platform, and does not constitute any investment and financial advice. Readers are requested to establish correct currency concepts and investment concepts, and earnestly raise risk awareness.
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