As cryptocurrency gains acceptance, more people are vying to get their paycheck and other benefits in bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital currencies. Famous athletes, politicians, and everyday employees are now getting all or part of their salary this way.
“Whether you’re the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, or you’re driving Uber, you can get paid in bitcoin,” said Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike, a digital finance company.
New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams recently tweeted that he wants to receive his first three paychecks in bitcoin. And Miami Mayor Francis Suarez tweeted earlier this month that he’s taking his next paycheck in bitcoin as well.
In the sports world, the Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major sports franchise to offer employees and players a bitcoin payment option. Former Carolina Panthers lineman, Russell Okung became the first NFL player to be paid in bitcoin after converting half of his $13 million salary last December. Since then, other top professional athletes have followed suit, including NFL players Aaron Rodgers, Trevor Lawrence, Sean Culkin, Saquon Blakely, and NBA player Cade Cunningham.
Cryptocurrency, explained with major companies, like Paypal and Microsoft accepting payments in bitcoin, the cryptocurrency is also becoming an accepted means to pay wages and other fringe benefits like bonuses and retirement savings for rank-and-file employees.
“With the broadening support for use of cryptocurrencies in payments, it’s natural you’d start to see more people saying, ‘well, if I can buy the proverbial cup of coffee now with cryptocurrency, maybe I should get paid in it,’” said Garrick Hileman, head of research at Blockchain.com. But if you have the option to get paid in bitcoin, would you go for it?
Source: CNN