A mix of street ballers, pros playing overseas and former college hoop stars from five states battled for 30,000 in Bitcoin at a basketball tournament that bills itself as the first to pay winners in BTC. But only one team took home the bag during The Bitcoin Classic DMV, where cryptocurrency experts also offered tips on being Bitcoin ballers on and off the court.
Joe Bryant Jr., former Norfolk State guard who was the 2022-23 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year, led his team to victory to secure the 30,000 BTC prize bag. Bryant’s CITI team won 76-63 over Team Tap IN during The Bitcoin Classic DMV on Saturday at Howard University.
Want your own Bitcoin bag? Here are five things you need to know to cash in like Bryant did.
Do your homework
“Knowledge is power and for everybody to understand how important Bitcoin is, not just for today but for the future,” said Crypto Tutors CEO and co-founder Nina Blakenship during a seminar dubbed “Bitcoin in Session,” powered by Block and Crypto Tutors, on Day 2 of the tournament.
Think beyond the face value
“To win in Bitcoin means that you are actually winning with the potential of increasing your earnings,” said Lisa Francouer, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Crypto Tutors. “So that 30,000 today could be a million dollars in a few years from now.”
Understand the tech job market
“To understand the technology and to be able to gain the most in-demand jobs of the future is really critical,” Blankenship said. The crypto job market fluctuates and is concentrated in key cities like Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco.
Listen and learn
Francouer and Blankenship are sponsoring a free virtual conference, “Crypto for the Culture,” from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 17.
Know the risks
Every financial move has risks. Know what you don’t know to minimize them as well as the impact of external factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. reportedly took a financial hit after saying that he would take part of his salary in Bitcoin when he switched from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams.
Yusuf Abdul-Ali, founder of The Bitcoin Classic, said he will continue hosting events in D.C. on a monthly basis, as well as tournaments in other cities like Atlanta, New York, Miami, Boston and Bloomfield, Connecticut. He was particularly excited about being at the Mecca.
“It feels good to be at Howard,” Abdul-Ali said. “I know it’s an iconic school, so the fact that we’re hosting it here is legendary for me, and the fact that we’re doing it around Bitcoin and basketball means a lot.”
Branson Brooks, a journalist based in Washington, D.C., specializes in sports.