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Here are the top 10 celebrities who endorsed and invested in bitcoin and crypto

It's safe to say that during Bitcoin's early years, the world's first cryptocurrency had very little "cool factor," with the public perception of it being a shady new technology championed primarily by computer nerds and Dark Web criminals. Few people were aware of its existence, and most dismissed it as a trivial internet currency or a passing digital fad like 3D TVs.

1. Elon Musk

Despite his initial public skepticism about cryptocurrencies, Elon Musk is likely the most influential individual in the Bitcoin community, despite constantly mocking crypto on Twitter, thanks to his 46 million followers and rockstar scientist image. In January 2021, he added "#Bitcoin" to his Twitter bio, causing the price of BTC to rise by 25%.

2. Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson, a well-known former boxer and social media star, recognized the potential of Bitcoin before most celebrities, declaring his support for the cryptocurrency in 2015 and stating that he is "grateful" to be a part of the revolution. That same year, he collaborated with Bitcoin ATM manufacturers, resulting in BTC ATMs bearing his face tattoo. Furthermore, "Iron Mike" worked with Bitcoin Direct to launch a mobile BTC wallet.

3. Maisie Williams

Maisie Williams, a Game of Thrones actress, joined the Bitcoin train in November 2020. She asked her Twitter followers for advice on whether to "go long on Bitcoin," a tweet that drew over 900,000 responses, with more than half of them advising her against it.

Fortunately, it appeared that she had already made up her mind, as she stated, "Thank you for the advice, I bought some anyway." Since then, the price has more than quadrupled!

4. Jack Dorsey

Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter and Square, is a fervent supporter of Bitcoin. His passion for Bitcoin dates back to 2017 when he began advocating for the king coin. Dorsey was unfazed when the crypto market crashed in 2018, calling Bitcoin the future world currency despite the digital currency's lowest point in several years.

5. Richard Branson

Richard Branson, the founder of the multibillion-dollar conglomerate Virgin Group, invested US$30 million in BitPay, a Bitcoin payment processing platform, in 2014. Although he hasn't stated his position or the amount of BTC he owns, he has previously acknowledged the "potential benefits of genuine bitcoin developments."

6. Snoop Dogg

The American rapper was ahead of the curve in the early days of Bitcoin in 2012, making his music available for purchase using BTC. Each album was priced at 0.3 BTC, which is approximately US$14,000 at the current Bitcoin price.

7. Mark Cuban

Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a billionaire shark tank star, appears to have a love-hate relationship with Bitcoin. He once advised people to invest at least 10% of their portfolio in Bitcoin, but later admitted that he'd rather own bananas than Bitcoin. He disclosed his BTC holdings in April 2020, which were valued at a meager US$130 (now worth around US$635). He later clarified, however, that he has held many other cryptocurrencies since the early days of Coinbase.

8. Kanye West

Kanye West expressed his support for the most popular cryptocurrency during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, saying that Bitcoiners "is the true liberation of America." BTC, according to West, is a new motorway capable of creating "the next frontier of humanity." However, it is unclear how much Bitcoin the American rapper possesses.

9. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The well-known professional boxer is one of the most prominent celebrities who own Bitcoin. In 2017, for example, he tweeted that he was spending his Bitcoin fortune in Beverly Hills. He even said it was fine for fans to refer to him as Floyd "Crypto" Mayweather. Unfortunately, DJ Khaled was fined by the SEC in 2018 for promoting an illegal initial coin offering (ICO).

10. Steven Seagal

Seagal has been a familiar face in the cryptocurrency sector, even though his actual Bitcoin holdings are unknown at the time of writing. Regrettably, he has also been linked to shady cryptocurrency assets. The US Securities and Exchange Commission charged Seagal in 2020 with "unlawfully touting" a Bitcoin competitor. The martial arts star agreed to pay a fine of US$314,000.