Odell Beckham Jr Flaunts NFL Salary Gains As Bitcoin Surges To All-Time High

Odell Beckham Jr., a well-known American football wide receiver, took to X on July 14 to talk about the recent surge in Bitcoin’s price. His post hinted that he’s happy with a decision many once doubted—choosing to take his 2021 NFL salary in Bitcoin, which now seems to have paid off.

Bitcoin touched a milestone. On July 14, 2025, it reached a new high of USD 121,344. The bullish sentiment in the cryptocurrency market is strengthening its growth. 

Beckham grabbed attention in 2021 when he joined the Los Angeles Rams—not just for joining a Super Bowl-contending team, but for the unusual way he chose to receive his salary. Rather than opting for traditional currency, the wide receiver took his entire one-year deal—reportedly worth up to USD 4.25 million—in Bitcoin.

The contract breakdown included a base salary of USD 750,000, a USD 500,000 signing bonus, and up to USD 3 million in performance bonus , all of which Beckham received after helping the Rams secure a Super Bowl victory that season.

Many thought it was a risky move at the time, but now it looks like Beckham got the last laugh. With Bitcoin recently hitting record highs following the US election, the value of that decision has taken on a new light. Bitcoin touched a milestone now, marking USD 120, 000. This reflects investor’s confidence and growing institutional participation. 

Responding to past skepticism, Beckham took to X in November 2024, playfully calling out critics by reminding them of his crypto paycheck and showing a screenshot of Bitcoin’s current price. He emphasized the importance of patience, recalling how most people doubted his move but noting that sometimes success comes from playing the long game and trusting your instincts.  

NFL, NBA Stars’ Growing Interest Towards Crypto

Back in 2020, Okung became the first NFL athlete to have a portion of his salary paid in cryptocurrency. He had half of his USD 13 million salary—about USD 6.5 million—converted into Bitcoin when the price hovered around USD 27,000. Sports Illustrated reports that this earned him approximately 240 Bitcoins. If he held onto them, they’d now be worth around USD 21 million, a massive gain for someone who made just seven starts that season.

Okung reflected on the decision, saying that receiving his pay in Bitcoin wasn’t just about how he got paid—it was also about making a statement.

As per Business Insider, prominent NBA names Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala had also opted for bitcoin mode salary. They received a portion of their salaries in Bitcoin while with the Golden State Warriors. The trend extended beyond basketball and football, too—by 2022, athletes like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Rodgers, and Trevor Lawrence were also reported to have accepted parts of their salaries or endorsement payments in crypto.

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