Celebs and crypto in 2020: Blockchain cities, Bitcoin newbies and Twitter trolling
Celebrities have long been used to promote brands, products and services to varying degrees of success, and the cryptocurrency space has been no exception to this practice. In years gone by, the biggest names in the world of entertainment have made waves in the crypto space for endorsing or investing in projects, tokens and companies. Some have stayed, others have gone and a few have ended up in hot water for their forays into the crypto cauldron.
2020 has also seen a number of celebrities from different walks of life enter the fray, and as per usual, the cryptocurrency community has been abuzz about the newcomers and their involvement. So, let’s take a look at the most notable celebrities who have joined, those who have left, and those who showed increased interest in the cryptocurrency ecosystem in 2020.
kon: Visions of an African crypto-powered city
Senegalese-American music star Akon is adored around the world not only for his chart-topping hits but also for his philanthropic and entrepreneurial work over the years. His Lighting Africa initiative has helped provide solar power energy solutions to 28 countries on the continent, and he’s also become a proponent for the use of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
In 2018, Akon revealed plans to launch a cryptocurrency called Akoin that will become the native currency of a futuristic city that he envisions building in his home country of Senegal. Fast forward a couple of years, and these plans were finally fleshed out and released to the public.
Akon City is set to be a $6 billion cryptocurrency-powered city built on 2,000 acres of land that was reportedly given to him as a gift by Senegal’s president, Macky Sall. The city will be located near the Senegalese capital of Dakar.
The first phase of construction of Akon City is expected to begin in the next few months and is touted to be completed by the end of 2023, with a construction contract having already been awarded to an American engineering firm.
Primary infrastructure including roads, waste services and a solar power plant will be built in the first phase alongside a hospital campus, a mall, residential accommodations, hotels and a police station. In addition, parks, a sports stadium, an industrial complex and a university have been earmarked for construction in phase one as well. The city will also be largely dependent on renewable solar energy.
As the project’s white paper details, the second phase of development is expected to take place over five years, from 2024 to 2029, and will culminate in the completion of Akon City and its running solely on an economy powered by the Akoin cryptocurrency and ecosystem.
While Akon City may only become a living, breathing, crypto-powered city in 2030, Akon’s vision and ability to launch the plan into action in 2020 has certainly earned him a place on this list.
Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams woos Bitcoin community
The final season of Game of Thrones may have left many fans feeling underwhelmed, but its characters and their real-life actors have become beloved by many around the world. Maisie Williams, who plays the diminutive but deadly Arya Stark in the TV series, is another celebrity who joined the crypto community in 2020.
In November, Williams took to Twitter to ask her 2.7 million followers if she should “go long on bitcoin” in a poll that garnered over 900,000 votes, 3,400 retweets, 3,700 comments and 16,000 likes.
should i go long on bitcoin ?
— Maisie Williams (@Maisie_Williams) November 16, 2020
While the tally of the votes as of the end of December resulted in 53% of voters saying “no,” a swathe of influential figures from the world of cryptocurrency, blockchain and beyond added their two cents to the post.
Renowned crypto podcast host Peter McCormack gave Williams a very maximalist response in his comment saying “Bitcoin and nothing else,” while Barry Silbert made reference to the deadly affliction known as “greyscale”in Game of Thrones when he suggested Williams explore investing through Grayscale’s digital-asset trusts.
At the end of the day, Williams made up her own mind and “bought some anyway.” Arya Stark always did her own thing.
Paris Hilton, artiste extraordinaire
Paris Hilton is an American celebrity, actress, model, reality TV star, DJ and singer who has also become a renowned entrepreneur through various retail ventures.
In 2017, Hilton made a small foray into the cryptocurrency space during the height of the initial coin offering frenzy. In a now-deleted series of Twitter posts, Hilton expressed her interest in the ICO of LydianCoin, which later became embroiled in serious legal battles.
Hilton later distanced herself from the project after its founder was convicted of domestic violence and battery, and she seemingly walked away from the world of crypto — until 2020, that is.
In August, Hilton made headlines after announcing that she had sold a digital art piece of her cat, Munchkin, for a total of 40 Ether (ETH), which was worth around $17,000 at the time. Hilton’s digital painting was sold on an Ethereum-based auction platform called Cryptograph.
Today I am auctioning off my @Cryptograph of #Munchkin to benefit 3 amazing charities: @LAFoodBank @MealsOnWheels @BB4Homeless. The auction is live now for the next 72 hours at https://t.co/rCroea8vCg pic.twitter.com/XP18LGtHsi
— Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) August 13, 2020
Hilton pledged the proceeds of the auction to three United States-based charities: the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Meals On Wheels and Backpack Bed for Homeless.
Rapper Logic’s “YOLO” Bitcoin buy
Title: Celebs and crypto in 2020: Blockchain cities, Bitcoin newbies and Twitter trolling
Sourced From: cointelegraph.com/news/celebs-and-crypto-in-2020-blockchain-cities-bitcoin-newbies-and-twitter-trolling
Published Date: Sat, 02 Jan 2021 07:45:08 +0000
Celebs and crypto in 2020: Blockchain cities, Bitcoin newbies and Twitter trolling
Celebs and crypto in 2020: Blockchain cities, Bitcoin newbies and Twitter trolling was originally published here https://businessnewsideas0.blogspot.com/2021/01/celebs-and-crypto-in-2020-blockchain.html
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