Russell Okung’s Bitball league offers players a Bitcoin payment option

Retired NFL player Russell Okung’s new Bitball league will offer players the option to take their payments in the leading cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The former Carolina Panthers player took to his X handle to announce the new football league to kick off on December 10.

In an interview, Okung mentioned that he has been looking into the possibility for quite a while. He noted that he wants to build the league to ensure players can earn Bitcoin, fans can also have stakes, and the community can build wealth. “This means middlemen and backdoor deals will be eliminated,” the former NFL player said.

Russell Okung lays down his plans for Bitball

Russell Okung mentioned that the idea to create Bitball came after his retirement. He tried to convince league owners of the merits of Bitcoin but was unsuccessful. He added that he is trying to build a league where players can play pure sport and earn in Bitcoin.

Okung clarified that he wants athletes to build wealth, stopping the norm of ex-players going broke years after retirement. The players he contacted, including friends and former NFL players, were enthusiastic about the new league. He revealed his excitement about the cultural statement and noted that he wants people to lean in and go deep.

when I said ‘pay me in Bitcoin’, it was just the beginning

announcing: @playBITBALL. 12.10.24, Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi@bitcoinmenaconf ticket holders attend free pic.twitter.com/9jVjnPgOgy

— OKUNG 🐆 (@RussellOkung) November 14, 2024

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.

Okung’s Bitcoin adoption journey

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.