Russell Okung mencionó que la idea de crear Bitball surgió después de su retiro. Intentó convencer a los dueños de la liga de los méritos de Bitcoin , pero no tuvo éxito. Agregó que está tratando de construir una liga donde los jugadores puedan practicar puro deporte y ganar en Bitcoin .
Okung aclaró que quiere que los atletas generen riqueza, deteniendo la norma de que los exjugadores queden en quiebra años después de su retiro. Los jugadores con los que contactó, incluidos amigos y exjugadores de la NFL, estaban entusiasmados con la nueva liga. Reveló su entusiasmo por la declaración cultural y señaló que quiere que la gente se incline y profundice.
cuando dije 'pagueme en Bitcoin ', fue solo el comienzo
– OKUNG 🐆 (@RussellOkung) 14 de noviembre de 2024
anunciando: @playBITBALL . 12.10.24, Estadio Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Los poseedores de entradas @bitcoinmenaconf asisten gratis pic.twitter.com/9jVjnPgOgy
The new Bitball league will debut on December 10 at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The inaugural game will feature 24 professional football players. Okung clarified that only users with the Bitcoin conference ticket will attend the game.
Russell Okung is not new to the Bitcoin space. He made headlines in December 2020, when he announced he would take half of his $13 million salary in Bitcoin. According to the former NFL star, he still holds the Bitcoins and has continued to purchase more since then.
Although his total tally remains unknown, the 240 Bitcoin he was paid in 2020 for $6.5 million of his salary, will be worth $21 million today. Okung has vowed to keep holding his tokens, despite the discouragement the volatility in the crypto market brings.
Okung noted that he didn’t start the ‘pay me in Bitcoin’ initiative to chicken out. He sees it as an opportunity to help his family while emphasizing the freedom in digital form that Bitcoin provides. He sees his risk as a good one, going by the asset’s price when he bought it till now.
The former NFL star also sees Bitcoin as a new value creation, while noting that he invests in mining as well. “I also invest in Bitcoin mining, so I’m interested in both land and energy. Energy, in particular, serves as an anchor for a high-output civilization,” he said.
Bitcoin has maintained an upward swing over the last few weeks since Trump emerged as the president. Bitcoin hit new all-time highs before settling around $93,000 on Wednesday. While analysts are still discussing the sector’s potential under Trump, Okung hailed his impact, especially his speech at the Bitcoin conference this year.
He notes that it is a serious gesture that shows the authorities are taking Bitcoin holders seriously. Okung clarified that crypto users are a voting block, and they have the opportunity to shape America’s future like every other group of people. However, despite the excitement, Okung notes that he is aware of the downs in the market.
“When I first bought Bitcoin, I knew about the volatility and studied the market cycles. I expected highs and lows, but one key metric stood out: over a four-year horizon, Bitcoin generally goes up,” he said. He added that he did some thinking about the perception of Bitcoin’s value worldwide, and it gave him the strength to go on even through the FTX issue.