Former NFL Star Russell Okung’s Crypto Adoption Comments Ignite Bitcoin vs. Stablecoins Debate

Comments on Lightning Network adoption, made by Russell Okung, a former NFL star who is among the first to receive part of his salary in crypto, sparked a discussion that highlighted the opposing opinions of the crypto community about the usage of bitcoin and stablecoins in emerging markets.

Russell Okung Ignites Discussion on Bitcoin vs. Stablecoins for Emerging Markets

The comments made on X by Russell Okung, a former NFL player and cryptocurrency proponent, sparked a discussion about the value proposition that both bitcoin and stablecoins have on emerging markets. Okung, one of the first NFL players to receive part of his salary in cryptocurrency, commented on the lack of response he received while promoting Lightning Network, Bitcoin’s scaling layer, in Africa.
Okung explained:

During my time in Africa, while advocating for the Lightning Network, I faced a cold, hard realization. Despite my efforts, I found that more people were interested in dealing with USDT rather than Bitcoin.

Okung’s comments on how the demand for stablecoins outpaced the interest in bitcoin in the region made several cryptocurrency community members react differently.

Matt Carvalho, marketing manager at Synonym, a subsidiary of Tether, declared that this lack of interest in Lightning Network had to do with the economic dealings of people facing different problems in these markets. “It’s hard to sell savings technology for those who have no money left to save,” he stressed.
Nonetheless, others indicated that this phenomenon had to do more with ignorance about the problem of fiat currencies. Stephan Livera, a known Bitcoin podcaster, stated that the African people didn’t “understand the problem of fiat currency yet,” adding that this was why they didn’t get that bitcoin “was the answer.”
Livera’s statements resulted in mockery from other crypto community members, who criticized the podcaster’s point of view on the lukewarm reception that African people gave bitcoin. Udi Wertheimer, a co-founder of the Bitcoin inscriptions project Taproot Wizards, mocked Livera’s appreciation of the issue.
He declared:

‘Those stupid Africans, they just don’t understand the problem of fiat currency yet.’ Bro f**king laser-eyes, man. Can’t think of a more deranged group of people.

Livera later backpedaled on his thoughts, acknowledging that this phenomenon in emerging markets had to do more with income levels than with understanding how fiat currency works. “It’s hard to use and save with Bitcoin if you can’t save in general,” he concluded.