USC football player earns zero money in Bitcoin: ‘Preparing for long-term financial growth’

College athletes will be able to get paid for their name, image and likeness in a blockbuster 2021 NCAA deal that changes NCAA football forever and will allow one player to get paid Bitcoin Bitcoin/USD In 2025, follow other professional athletes and get into cryptocurrencies.

what happened: Since NIL trades were approved, top NCAA football players have been able to earn thousands of dollars through trades.

USC Recruitment matetagoi He announced that starting next year, some of his NIL payments will be paid in Bitcoin, On3 reported.

The transaction is through strikea Bitcoin payment app. USC NIL Collective Victory House helped broker the deal.

“This has been a game changer for me. By converting a portion of my zero income into Bitcoin, I set myself up for long-term financial growth. I am grateful to Strike, House of Victory, and 3Point0 Labs Help me with this step,” Tagoy said.

With this deal, Tagoa’i is believed to be the first college athlete to receive NIL payment in Bitcoin.

“I am proud to be part of this innovative collaboration that is redefining the future of college athletics and finance and hopefully set an example for other young athletes.”

strike founder Jack MarlersHe, who has helped athletes complete other Bitcoin transactions, shared his excitement about the deal on social media.

“Bitcoin is more than just a new technology. Bitcoin is a cultural phenomenon. An idea and a movement whose time has come. Excited to join @mataitagoai and more people around the world who want to keep the wealth they’ve earned and Inspiring a new generation of athletes to collaborate and sue for better money,” Marlers wrote on Twitter.

A four-star recruit and a top-100 recruit nationally, the linebacker is expected to be a key piece for the USC football team next season. Tagoy chose USC over other top schools he was considering, including Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and Washington.

USC went 6-6 in the 2024 NCAA football season, including a 4-5 record in the Big Ten Conference, a first for the conference.

Also read: Football player bets on Bitcoin salary increase in 2021, now up more than 100%: “I am a simple person, I like to play football and I like to play with my Bitcoin”

Why it’s important: former NFL player Russell Okon He previously made headlines in 2020 when he announced that half of his salary would be paid in Bitcoin.

While many criticized the deal and attacked Okung as the price of Bitcoin dropped, the former NFL player now has the last laugh, with Bitcoin trading at nearly $100,000, much higher than when he acquired it price.

NIL approval continues to play an important role in college sports, especially college football, and the deal between Strike and Tagoa’i may be the first of many more cryptocurrency transactions to come.

As Benzinga previously shared, one of the richest men in the world even helped the University of Michigan recruit a top quarterback in a NIL deal. NIL is also the reason for the new NCAA football game Electronic Arts EA This season, the game continued to be the best-selling game of the year.

Bitcoin Price Trend: At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $95,924.19, while the 52-week trading range is $38,521.89 to $108,268.45. Bitcoin is up 117% so far in 2024.

Read next: