As cryptocurrencies gain mainstream recognition and popularity, more and more people around the globe are holding and investing in them, even celebrities are seeing their potential. A whole host of A-listers have made the crypto jump, from actors to legendary boxers. Here are our top five stars who have made cryptocurrency ventures:
Akon
Senegalese singer Akon has been setting trends since his debut album in 2003 and the “Locked Up” singer is doing it again with his new cryptocurrency, Akoin. The crypto will be central to his Akon City, the March whitepaper for the token said. The RandB artist said that concerns over his native country of Senegal’s currency forced him to seek out alternatives at has settled on cryptocurrencies. The Akoin token will be launched on top of the Stellar (XLM) network and held in both Stellar and Akoin wallets. It will also have a digital wallet and an integrated eco-system of DApps.
Jeffrey Huang
Taiwanese A-list musician Jeffrey Huang is the man behind two cryptocurrency projects, Machi X and Mithril. The former group member of L.A. Boyz has created cryptocurrency-based reward systems for creatives. Mithril rewards users for their social media content with MITH token rewards. These can be used for a range of things. Machi X is an intellectual property market place where artists can sell their content to fans and investors. The site is made for artists and helps them navigate the often stressful royalty fees.
Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher is most well known for his various leading roles, but what you might not know about the “Two and a Half Men” star is that he is active within the cryptocurrency industry. The Hollywood star has invested in various crypto projects including, UnikoinGold, an esports gambling startup which has a UnikoinGold cryptocurrency which can be used on the site. The actor has also invested in Bitpay, being pictured in a tweet after visiting the bitcoin payment service provider in June 2017.
Mike Tyson
The former heavyweight champion of the world, Mike Tyson, is an avid fan of cryptocurrencies. The boxer has voiced his support on his podcast, Hotboxin’ with Mike, and is looking into creating his own. Back in 2015, Tyson reportedly partnered with Bitcoin Direct to create ATMs emblazoned with his iconic face tattoo. However, Tyson’s involvement with crypto has not always been good, after the star was embroiled in a crypto scam who used his name and endorsement. He was forced to deny any link to the suspected scam called Fight to Fame.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Another famous film star makes the list again this time Gwyneth Paltrow. The Oscar winner is the face of Abra a bitcoin wallet and is also an advisor. The actress, who is best known for her lifestyle tips and blog called Goop, is a keen advocate for cryptocurrencies. She has even shared articles on how to use cryptocurrencies and invest in 2017.
Snoop Dogg
Another singer makes the list, this time legendary rapper Snoop Dogg. The west coast rapper has been on to crypto early and even sold one of his albums for Bitcoin. The “Gin and Juice” rapper sold his 2013 album for 0.3 BTC per copy. Snoop even reached out to Coinbase for collaboration during 2013, tweeting them: https://twitter.com/SnoopDogg/status/409844208204140544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E409844208204140544&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.coindesk.com%2Fsnoop-dogg-sell-record-bitcoin
Imogen Heap
Potentially the best representative on the list, Heap has a keen interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain, the technology behind it. The English musician is the founder of The Creative Passport, an app that allows users to track their intellectual property and other personal information. The app is based on blockchain, with the Heap affiliated company Mycelia the project behind it.
Ben Askren
Retired MMA fighter, Ben “Funky” Askren is another sports star that is invested in crypto. The former UFC fighter and ONE FC champion has his own cryptocurrency podcast called, Funky Crypto. The fighter even had John Kim, the Litecoin Foundation’s chief in to help with the explanation of his first topic, “What is Bitcoin?”
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp, Hollywood star, musician, and also blockchain collaborater. That’s right, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star has worked with blockchain project called TaTaTu. The blockchain startup looks to reward users with tokens and rewards for engaging with films and games. The company partnered up with Depp in 2018, but it is unknown if the relationship still stands.
Lionel Messi
Barcelona star and world’s greatest footballer, Lionel Messi, is a crypto investor. The Argentinian has reportedly partnered with sraeli company Sirin Labs in late 2017. Sirin Labs is a company loking to create crypto smart phones and is most notbaly known for its Finney crypto phone.
