E192: Tristan Thompson: Why This NBA Champion Is Betting on Crypto (and why you should too)

NBA champion Tristan Thompson breaks down the simple Bitcoin strategy he uses to build long-term wealth, and why he believes in Bitcoin going to $1 million.  He opens up about growing up around government assistance, the memecoin trade where greed cost him most of a seven figure gain, and why so many rich people end up losing it all.  Whether you’re new to crypto or already stacking, this is a rare look at how a pro athlete really thinks about money, risk, and getting rich. THE SHIFT NEWSLETTER 💡Go beyond the mic - subscribe to The Shift, my new weekly newsletter where I share the uncut stories, raw takes, and behind-the-scenes notes from When Shift Happens: https://www.kevinfollonier.com/crypto-web3-newsletter ___________ PARTNERS ⚖️ Variational aggregates liquidity to offer industry-leading depth on crypto, equities, commodities, and more: https://www.variational.io/ 🚀 Jupiter is the most used Decentralized Exchange in Crypto and the largest DEX by volume on Solana: https://jup.ag/ 💳 KAST lets you manage and spend stablecoins or crypto with a Visa Card or Apple Pay. Live in 100+ countries - Get $20 Signup Bonus - https://go.kast.xyz/VqVO/SHIFT - promo code: SHIFT 🔓 Trezor offers the safest cold-storage wallets for crypto and true financial independence.  Buy with 10% off - promo code: WSH10 - https://affil.trezor.io/SH12h 🌱 Bitwise Asset Management manages $15B+ across 30+ crypto investment products — ETFs, index funds, alpha, staking, and more. https://bitwiseinvestments.com/ ⚖️ Ethena is a synthetic dollar protocol on Ethereum, offering a crypto-native, non-bank-dependent stablecoin called USDe. It uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy with staked ETH to maintain a $1 peg. https://ethena.fi/ ♾️ Coinsilium provides vital funding and expert advice to Web3 and AI-powered early-stage technology companies. https://www.coinsilium.com 🚀 Kalshi is a US regulated financial exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events : https://kalshi.com/category/crypto ___________ FOLLOW TRISTAN THOMPSON • Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/realtristan13/ • LinkedIn: https://x.com/TThompson FOLLOW WHEN SHIFT HAPPENS Twitter (X): https://x.com/KevinWSHPod   Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kevinfollonier_  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinfollonier_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfollonier/ Website: https://kevinfollonier.com/ DISCLAIMER The info contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing herein shall be construed to be financial, legal, or tax advice. The content of this video is solely the opinions of the speakers who are not a licensed financial advisor or registered investment advisor. Trading cryptocurrencies poses considerable risk of loss. The speakers do not guarantee any particular outcome. 0:00 Intro 3:55 What Basketball Taught Tristan About Investing 4:41 Tristan’s Biggest Weakness 6:04 Growing Up With A Chip On His Shoulder 6:52 Why He Switched From Soccer To Basketball 8:58 Life After The NBA 11:20 Why Companies Want Former Athletes 12:46 Partnerships: @KASTxyz @Variational @BitwiseInvest 14:24 Why Sharks Target Athletes’ Money 16:49 Bitcoin To $1 Million? 19:37 Tristan’s Crypto Portfolio Beyond Bitcoin 21:08 His Biggest Miss & Best Investment 23:03 The Real Goal Behind Building Wealth 24:09 What Separates Talented From Great 24:49 Why He’s Betting On AI & Robotics 27:29 What Becomes Scarce When AI Makes Everything Abundant 28:44 Preparing Kids For An AI Future 29:51 Partnerships: @JupiterExchange @Ethena 30:35 Where The Money In AI Actually Goes 33:16 Why Rich People Lose It All 35:02 The Memecoin Trade That Got Away 35:35 Does Tristan Make Money Leverage Trading? 37:39 Tristan’s Thoughts On Zcash 38:03 What He’s Trying To Win Now 39:25 Do Elite Degrees Still Matter? 41:57 If You Don’t Spend It, Someone Else Will 42:46 Closing Thoughts