NBA Legend Shaq Never Held Bitcoin Or XRP, But There's One Other Trump Crypto Reserve Coin He Bought In 2021

by Murtuza Merchant Benzinga Staff Writer

Shaquille O'Neal, the NBA legend turned business mogul, has consistently voiced skepticism about cryptocurrency, yet evidence reveals he dipped into the market with a $20,000 Ethereum ETH/USD purchase to acquire NFTs in 2021.

"I don't understand it, so I will probably stay away from it until I get a full understanding," O’Neal told CNBC in 2022.

His actions show a complex relationship with the crypto space, marked by transactional use rather than investment belief, alongside significant legal fallout from promotional roles.

O'Neal's crypto journey lacks evidence of direct purchases of Bitcoin BTC/USD or XRP XRP/USD, but his engagement with Ethereum surfaced in September 2021 when he bought Creature World NFTs.

Reports from DappRadar and Clutchpoints confirm he spent approximately 6.5 Ethereum (ETH), valued at around $20,000 at the time, on two NFTs: Creature #9018 for 5 ETH and Creature #9299 for 1.55 ETH.

O'Neal had updated his X profile picture to Creature #9018, signaling ownership and aligning with his wallet activity under the pseudonym "manofdominance" on OpenSea.

Also Read: Trump’s XRP, Cardano Inclusion In Crypto Reserve Proposal Could Be Result Of ‘Businessman’ Instincts, MEXC’s Tracy Jin Says

This move came just weeks after he told CNBC on Sep. 10, 2021, that he hadn't invested in crypto due to its complexity, suggesting a distinction between buying for NFT transactions and holding as a long-term asset.

His promotional involvement, however, has overshadowed these personal transactions.

In 2024, O'Neal settled an $11 million class-action lawsuit tied to his endorsement of Astrals NFTs and FTX, a collapsed crypto exchange.

The lawsuit alleged he misled investors by leveraging his fame to promote Astrals NFTs—10,000 Solana SOL/USD-based avatars—as unregistered securities, alongside his FTX commercials.

"I was just a paid spokesperson for a commercial," O'Neal clarified in a 2022 CNBC interview, distancing himself from deeper involvement after FTX's demise.

The settlement, awaiting court approval as of March 5, 2025, compensates investors who lost money, underscoring the legal risks of his crypto affiliations rather than personal investment.

O'Neal's NFT purchases contrast sharply with his stated caution.

Earlier in 2021, he said, "Every time somebody tells me one of those great stories, I like it. But from my experience, it is too good to be true," reflecting a reluctance to embrace crypto broadly.

His shift to Solana in 2022—changing his X handle to "Shaq.SOL"—hints at further exploration, though no clear evidence ties this to additional purchases beyond promotional activity.

Analysts suggest his Ethereum acquisition was purpose-driven for NFTs, not a speculative bet, aligning with his self-described limited understanding of the market.

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