Bitcoin 2021 Conference | Skateboarding Legend TONY HAWK: Holding since 2012, this is the future of finance

Legendary professional skateboarder Tony Hawk appeared at the Miami 2021 Bitcoin conference, where he revealed in an interview that he bought and held Bitcoin as early as 2012 and realized back then, "This is the future of finance."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGqQoXfUARk

Introduction to Bitcoin: Dark Web

Tony Hawk first encountered Bitcoin on the notorious dark web illegal trading market, "Silk Road." He stated that he did not engage in transactions on the dark web but was fascinated by Bitcoin as a medium of exchange:

It's very fast and allows for international transactions. To me, this is the future of finance, so I immediately went online to search for how to buy Bitcoin.

In the very early days of 2012, when Bitcoin was still hovering around a few dollars, the host was curious about what Tony Hawk did back then.

Early Bitcoin Donations

Tony Hawk mentioned that after buying in, he did not frequently trade but rather quietly observed Bitcoin. In 2012, he donated four Bitcoins to the global non-profit organization "Charity Water," stating:

I was the first person to donate Bitcoin to their fundraising event because I thought it was cool, but I really wish I had held onto those four Bitcoins.

He then emphasized his fondness for Charity Water. However, after the donation, the charity swiftly converted the Bitcoin into fiat currency, causing both parties to miss out on the subsequent significant price surge of Bitcoin.

As a professional skateboarder, despite skateboarding being recognized as a legitimate sport, he believes that the adoption of Bitcoin is progressing much faster than the sport of skateboarding.

Issuing NFTs

Tony Hawk has also ventured into the realm of NFTs. He sold his Ollie 540 video in the form of an NFT on the Ethernity Chain platform. This video captures a trick he performed at the age of 52 this year, claiming it to be his final performance of this "signature move."