How AB de Villers learned to invest in crypto after getting scammed

Hi there my name is Gareth jenkinson From coin Telegraph and welcome to the Very first episode of beyond the game Exploring crypto in sports we're joined By a very special individual Abe de Villiers is his name and he is a South African cricketing icon he's widely Regarded as one of the best to ever play The game ironically we're not here to Talk about Cricket today we're here to Talk about crypto more specifically Um a b is becoming an ambassador of a New web 3 investment platform built on Ethereum we'll touch on that a little Bit later in the interview but to start Things off Abe I think myself and all of Our viewers would love to know how your Journey into web 3 began uh did it start With Bitcoin and ethereum are you a Hudler we're dying to know I actually Learned uh about crypto the first time Through my brothers I was very very Skeptical I always am of any investment they take On but they they big Believers in xrb And rebel Um and since about 2016-17 they started playing around with That I just turned the blind I've Completely didn't want anything to do With it only a couple years later I was Actually I'm in the gym one morning and I was I sort of downloaded this this app And I've just started to follow um some

Of my favorite stuff obviously the Markets as well gold and commodities Um but also the nestic and S P 500 I Just found a bit of Interest started Reading a little bit about the markets Around the world and then obviously also Crypto Bitcoin ethereum xrp were my First interest uh and um not long after That I I started investing a little bit In xrp which did pretty well over over 12 to 18 months and um I found myself in Dubai in 2020 I think if uh if I'm not Mistaken 2021 where I heard about nfts For the first time and um I know this Friend Jonathan really lives in Cape Town good friend of mine um and um I Actually just literally just randomly Asked him what do you know about nfts And he gave me a long list of pointers Um a way to start under Jamila mosque Wallets it was all very confusing and Complicated so that was my first Introduction to crypto and also nfts and Not been involved ever since through a Lot of ups and lots of downs as well Yeah definitely plenty of ups and downs I think the same thing probably you guys For Cricket Um just out of Interest why was xrp is Something that caught your interest over Bitcoin the preeminent cryptocurrency or Even ethereum man which pioneered smart Contracts yeah obviously Bitcoin in Ethereum possibly that the two Cyprus

Crypto assets if there is something like That yeah but I've always said this Interest in xrp um obviously through my Brothers I started um reading a bit more About about the coin about the whole SEC Filing and the lawsuit that's going on And I quite like that about xrp is Controversial Nature of the coin and and the pain it's Been through and because of this uh sick Lawsuit that's been going on for ages Now whatever the outcome I do believe in The blockchain technology and web 3 I Think it's it's revolutionary it's it's Going to be it's it's no doubt about it In my mind that it's the future I want To switch it up to you to nfts because I Think there's a lot of synergies between Sports and nfts and and it's a massive Space you know in America you've got Things like MBA top shots which are Revolutionized taking highlights Packages and you know turning those into Digital Collectibles uh you've got Things like board Apes um I wanted to Know if you've acquired any interesting Nfts Um over the years Um what have you dabbled in maybe my Favorites are Um obviously the mutant APR Club board Ape is a little bit expensive for me and I'm not prepared to spend that amount of Money

Um Neo Tokyo a citizen aboard one of Those imposters I'm a big believer of Earlier trades and Alex back then what The girls are trying to do they're quite I'm controversial on Twitter this Journey will just grow and grow as time Goes on I do believe that nft industry Will have a boom pretty soon but we'll We'll see about that other nfts Um quite a few actually I I own up to 300 at one point wow and then comes the Little curveball so I I was a victim of A scam which really set me back big time Um I sort of lost a bit of faith I was Involved for 18 months at that time when That happened to me Um it was around Apache penguin project Which I also believed in big time and uh Yeah but anyway I was victim just um Lost quite a bit of my investment there My portfolio and but I'm still involved I still have my some of my nfts not all Of them obviously a few of them Disappeared unfortunately but that's the Nature of the of the game and um I guess If you don't do your research properly If you're not very Village and diligent and what you do I Made a couple of mistakes and it cost me Dearly just out of Interest maybe maybe You can chat a bit more about how the Scam took place uh so our viewers out There can get a better understanding of How social engineering works and and how

Quickly you can actually lose control of Your digital assets and if you're Unlucky uh lose everything I was really Guarded well by by jono my friend Um this first rule was always never to Touch anything that doesn't look like It's legit visit the website Um go to Twitter make sure that they are They're 100 legit even going to Discord Uh telegram there are so many different Platforms to verify this and to make Sure it's a it's a legit project Obviously the budget payments are very Legit but the the little pudgy hoodie That arrived in my on my main page on Metamask was obviously wasn't legit um I Never thought anything like that could Actually end up on my main page I always Saw Um it in the hidden box but want to Appear uh on the day that budget being Given on Twitter released something About uh there will be some drops and For the long-term holders and so this Little hoodie appear there I didn't want To hoodie but I thought it's pretty nice You receive a budgie really and that's What I felt for I've typed on that it Looked very legit there was a one dollar Gas fee the minutes I hit that gas fee Um it stalled um I hit it again I hit it About five times so it's ultimately Meant that I gave this guy access to my Whole wallet within minutes I saw some

Of my nfts starting to be be removed Luckily you can only remove I think About 15 nfts at a time Um I can't remember the exact number but I saw a batch on 15 go and I was like That's weird what happened I immediately Started calling some prints Um Panic big big time Panic it was Absolute chaos and ultimately I trusted My friend hi Jamie's address I sent the Remaining batch of my nft stream luckily In time and um yeah I'm still in the tea Game I won't give up but um hopefully Never fall for something like that again Maybe your involvement in the Wave 3 and Crypto space is ramping up a little bit So you've become the ambassador of a new Project called Commonwealth which is a Web 3 investment platform built on Ethereum and as I understand it allows Retail investors to gain access to Invest in early stage projects or Companies and that's something that's Typically reserved for Venture Capitalists right the proposition is Pretty interesting you can invest in a Variety of funds and projects you can Get access to your Capital through and Ownership representing nft and you can Take that you can hold it you can Fractionalize that nft you can sell it Depending on what you want to do out of Interest maybe why did you decide to get Involved in this project and how does it

Resonate with you I've always wondered How how did the early investors get Involved with the board at a yacht club And all the new amazing projects out There yeah and I think that is a really Really big issue out there is um not to Give the common person an opportunity to Get involved with with this project good Or bad I mean we were gone all just Invest in the good stuff but Um just to have an opportunity Um as you know it's reserved for BCS Mostly and the retail investors always Come jump on a bit late um sometimes to The downfall and I think that's where Commonwealth is completely different It's a fund you can invest in the fund Your average person can do so and I Think that's that's groundbreaking Um whether you're a person that's got a Job from nine to five you don't really Have time to to sit in front of your Laptop all day and have a look at Different projects do all that homework Um these guys will be investing on your Behalf and as you said you can you can Buy fraction of nft you can you can Literally spend fifty dollars to Whatever amounts and and the trick in That is it's liquid as you said I'm not Exactly sure whether it's immediate or a Day or two but it's not like your normal Investments where you sometimes have to Hold on to your plans for eight to ten

Years in the before it becomes liquid And becoming an ambassador in the Cryptocurrency space obviously uh you Have a huge sphere of influence in the World of cricket and in the World of Sports you know many millions of Followers on your various social media Channels and it does feel like you have A bit of a compelling Story to Tell in Alignment with this project uh Sports on Blockchain it's built on ethereum it's It's giving people access to investment In web 3 is that a compelling story that You you feel like you you want to align Yourself with going forward there now That your qriket career is behind you I Feel one thousand percent confident About this I know the people that are on Board and other people that have created This Um and I I understand the Simplicity Thereof and even I mean that's that sort Of resonates with my upbringing as well And and us people in South Africa the Way we were brought up with with our Different cultures the racial issues We've had in the past different people With privileges other others not I think That's the issue around the world and This project sort of tackles that and That resonates with me I love the fact That the common person that's why it's Called Commonwealth Um can get an opportunity as with the

Most wealthy person out there and the Guy who has been involved with this Space for 10 years who knows all the Tricks the ins and outs this just gives You a Level Playing Field it gives Everyone the same opportunity maybe just To finish off with the crypto side of This conversation obviously it seems Like behind the scenes you've been Pretty involved in the Wave 3 space Already you know dabbled in in nfts and Invested in in various cryptocurrencies Um do you see yourself being more Involved in this Wave 3 and crypto space Going forward Um can we expect more of this from you I'm still involved I'm not going Anywhere I truly believe in the Technology I believe in the space as I Said I could never put my finger on Which projects will work which won't I Have the fear that I believe in I do my Research research with that I follow and people I'm I'm on this in the Space every single day of my life Whether it's 30 minutes sometimes two Hours I'd just like to know what's going On follow the right people I'm always I've enjoyed following Elon Musk um he's Quite controversial on Twitter obviously As well but you follow the right people On Twitter you get a decent Understanding of what's happening in the Space and and then you do your own

Research as well all right baby I Thought we'd finish off the interview With some Cricket Focus questions Obviously mine my background in Sports Broadcast means I have plenty to ask you I'm going to try and keep it short and Sweets and starting off with your Favorite team to play against your Favorite opponents I think I know what The answer is going to be since I was a Little boy I think I was five or six Years old I quickly learned Um with my family that Australia is our Biggest Rivals and that's the team to Beat that's a there's no team that even Comes close to when it comes to Competitiveness and um especially to Travel there it's not an easy place to Travel to they really get behind the Boys so it's always been Aussie off the Top of your head they're the worst Boiler to face was it any particular SEMA or maybe one of the trickier Spinners out there the first guy comes To mind is show but after Um facing him was I never felt that he's Gonna get me out all the time Um but just like you knew if you missed The ball you would be in a lot of pain So there was that Fear Factor Rashid Khan in the T20 business especially at Night time when you can't pick the ball There's a one in the garage you feel Lucky this guy can get me out at any

Minute and I'll have to sort of be Proactive and take it to him get him off His game and those other guys that You're never comfortable and playing Against all right Evie thanks very much For taking the time to chat to me it's Been a really long and enjoyable Conversation I look forward to seeing Your involvement in the Wave 3 space Going forward I hopefully look forward To hearing more of you in the qriket Commentary box if that's what you're Going to be doing more of in the future That's fantastic thanks very much for Your time and I'll look forward to Catching up with you very very soon well It was nice talking to you as well Gareth