Carolina Panthers NFL player Russell Okung will receive part of his salary in bitcoins.
The National Football League (NFL) and the players‘ association approved the payment.
“Pay me with Bitcoin Trader” has become a reality for National Football League player Russell Okung.
First NFL player paid in BTC
Russell Okung becomes the first player in one of America’s major sports leagues to receive his salary in BTC. The Carolina Panthers player is paid an annual salary of $ 13 million that will be split equally between bitcoin and dollars.
Russell Okung uses the Zap startup founded by Jack Mallers. The startup can convert checks or transfers into BTC via its service called Strike .
Jack Mallers said other professional athletes, including members of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team and New York Yankees baseball team, have also started using the startup.
Jack Mallers said the NFL and the Players‘ Association were involved in securing approval for such an operation.
How does Strike work ?
Technically, Okung is still paid in dollars. Behind the scenes, Strike receives a direct deposit from his team and then exchanges dollars for bitcoin. The BTCs are then sent to a wallet controlled by Russell Okung.
According to its founder, Strike is in the process of moving to “seven digits” of monthly volume and expects that number to increase as top sports people want to receive their salaries in BTC. He stated :
We have found a way to allow any individual to receive a [percentage] of their work in Bitcoin.