Unchained Podcast Episode 964 Summary

Episode Title:

Can ‘Choose Rich’ Nick Create the Barstool Sports of Crypto?

Release Date:

November 28, 2025

Host:

Laura Shin

Guest:

Nick O’Neill (aka “Choose Rich Nick”), CEO and co-founder of Bodogos

Overview

This episode centers on Nick O’Neill—better known as "Choose Rich Nick"—who has become a notorious crypto social media personality thanks to his viral stunts and satirical "rich crypto bro" online persona. Nick and Laura explore the origins of his character, his approach to blending humor, criticism, and self-parody as a vehicle for attention and business, the lines he draws in his content, and how his acts both provoke and divide the crypto (and non-crypto) audience. They also unpack a viral incident involving Avalanche’s yacht party and the wider implications of modern crypto media, personal brands, and what it takes to go viral in a crowded Web3 landscape.

1. The Birth of "Choose Rich Nick"

[03:19] - [11:59]

• Nick’s content creation roots go back to the blogging era (2005–2007) and a top-60 Technorati-ranked blog network.
• Switched from engineering to podcasting and video after NFTs emerged in 2021, co-founding the Nifty Portal and Bodogos projects.
• The “Choose Rich Nick” character was actually a “happy accident,” born from viral videos and memes—initially a selfie on a yacht with the sarcastic caption, “this is who you’re trading against.”
  • “It got like 45 million views...people just dunking on me.” (Nick, [06:10])
• The persona thrives on being the butt of the joke, fueling engagement via ‘dunking’ from critics and internet trolls.
• “Choose Rich” became the running tagline after shooting a video in a tacky Miami Airbnb with neon lights.
• Implements a back-and-forth banter style that leverages X (Twitter) as the ideal platform for this dialogic form of viral content.

Nick [04:27]:
“People felt like they were exposing me, even though I was like, yo, I'm making a joke to begin with.”

2. Anatomy of the Character

[11:59] - [17:54]

• “Choose Rich Nick” is, at heart, a satire of the “rich douchebag” archetype turned up to eleven, amplified within the crypto context.
  • “He’s not just a rich person, he's a crypto rich person...” (Nick, [12:19])
• The persona is a critique and exaggeration of Miami’s conspicuous luxury scene, flex-culture, and the materialism associated with crypto wealth.
• Nick separates the character from his true self—an entrepreneur, creator, and emotionally self-aware person—but admits some natural blending occurs.
• He draws an ethical line:
  • Won’t cross into real sexism, racism, or humiliation of others—“We want someone...disgusted than offended, and that's me being the butt of the joke.” ([17:36])
  • Aims to avoid “infomercial” or exploitative content, despite audience expectations.

3. Motivation & Business Vision: The Barstool of Crypto

[17:54] - [20:57]

• Bodogos aspires to be “Barstool Sports for NFTs/crypto”—mixing raucous, attention-grabbing content with a media and analytics business (“Bloomberg for NFTs”).
  • The business is structured as a collective of personal brands, each playing a distinct role.
  • Nick uses virality and controversy as a “top of funnel” for business and product awareness.
• Attention is deliberately funneled from controversy toward substantive analysis and commentary—a dual-layered content strategy.

4. Viral Girlfriend Saga & Where Nick Draws the Line

[20:57] - [23:12]

• Nick discusses his viral “new girlfriend” and “new, hotter girlfriend” posts, featuring hired actresses for staged content.
• The intent: Not to objectify or use the women as the joke, but acknowledges these “push the limit.”
  • Hires actors/actresses for sketches regardless of gender, tries to stay mindful of representation and impact.
• The main issue in one saga: Actress complained about not being tagged (credit/visibility)—not about being called his girlfriend.
  • “Her issue wasn’t that I called her my girlfriend...the bigger reason was that I didn't tag her.” (Nick, [23:18])
• Nick admits to exploiting the drama for further virality when the actress went public:
  • “I took advantage because I was like, well, if you're going to be unprofessional...I'm going to fully take advantage and turn it into a drama.” ([24:36])

5. The Avalanche (Avax) Yacht Party Hoax

[25:58] - [34:41]

• Setup: Avalanche (Avax) hired Nick’s team for viral content. At a Miami yacht party, they devised a staged ejection event—Nick being physically removed from the yacht for an “undefined incident.”
• They enlisted other personalities (WallStreetBets, CryptoKaleo) to film/tweet about it and even drafted a fake legal statement from Avax distancing itself from Nick.
• The internet filled in the “undefined incident” gap—someone invents a “banana art” inspired rumor (Nick taping his painted genitals to the wall).
  • Kobe (a prominent crypto influencer) picks up and amplifies the fabricated story, making it the viral narrative.
  • “I was like, I hope this goes viral. I was initially disappointed because it wasn't getting a ton of traction, and then Kobe posted that thing, and I’m like, boom, we got it. Like, we were literally celebrating.” (Nick, [32:28])
• Even Avax’s CEO played along, but the stunt led to some sponsors distancing themselves for plausible deniability, though most were in on the joke.

6. Nick’s Crypto Origin Story & Career

[34:50] - [39:58]

• Introduced to Bitcoin by a roommate (pre-Mt. Gox). Dabbled in trading, missed major upswings.
• Covered ICOs in 2017 as a “skeptical” commentator, returning to journalism roots, interviewing tech/crypto heavyweights.
  • Attempted multiple software startups, but found his stride in content/journalism and product building for others.
• 2021 NFT boom motivated a full, “categorical bet” on the crypto/NFT space, inspired by friends/mentors who approached platforms as permanent opportunities.

7. Nick’s Physical & Character Acting

[39:25] - [43:19]

• Nick’s natural ability for physical comedy and using his appearance comes from childhood theater and growing up “performing” among neighborhood peers.
• He acknowledges societal challenges (“acting was seen as feminine” in some circles) but says understanding & expressing emotion is now “a superpower.”
• The team includes other strong performers, but Nick leans into his distinctive look and exaggerated characters.
  • “Many successful actors are well known for their look...I think my nose is a key component of pulling people in.” ([44:18])

8. Viral Mechanics, Audience Reaction, and Kobe’s Insult

[43:19] - [49:51]

• Laura reads out a tweet from Kobe, which bluntly says Nick’s persona “only works because he looks a bit like a creature from the David Bowie movie Labyrinth or perhaps from the Dark Crystal.”
  • “He is so curious looking that it transcends unattractive and becomes almost science fiction… Would not work at all if he looked like a human being.” (Kobe, [43:30])
• Nick is remarkably self-aware, finding truth (and humor) in Kobe’s analysis.
  • Admits the act splits audiences: half see the satire and enjoy it, half take it at face value and are outraged—“that’s the most important part of the success.”
  • “There are people that can't read through it...this just exploits that which I'm perfectly fine with.” ([49:16])
• Nick’s “fear” is that too many people will eventually “get it,” reducing the controversy and thus the virality.

9. Closing Remarks & Reflections

[49:51] - [50:48]

• Nick expresses respect for Laura’s journalistic integrity and offers to discuss the business/media side in future conversations.
  • “Your journalistic integrity goes beyond...what I would consider reasonable for most people, especially in the crypto space.” (Nick, [50:23])

Notable Quotes

• Nick on virality and self-parody:

  “People felt like they were exposing me, even though I was like, yo, I'm making a joke to begin with.” ([04:27])

• Nick on introducing comedy into the crypto scene:

  "We want someone who, if they're offended, they're offended by me ... that's me being the butt of the joke." ([17:36])

• Nick on personal branding:

  “Our business is a network of personal brands. So Choose Rich Nick is one of those personal brands.” ([20:29])

• Nick, after the Avax yacht hoax went viral:

  "I was like, I hope this goes viral. I was initially disappointed because it wasn't getting a ton of traction. And then Kobe posted that thing, and I’m like, boom, we got it. Like, we were literally celebrating.” ([32:28])

• Kobe’s viral tweet about Nick:

  “He is so curious looking that it transcends unattractive and becomes almost science fiction ... Would not work at all if he looked like a human being.” ([43:30])

• Nick’s response to Kobe:

  “Many successful actors are well known for their look. ... I think my nose is a key component of pulling people in.” ([44:18])

Key Timestamps (MM:SS)

• 03:19 — Nick describes the accidental origin of “Choose Rich Nick”
• 11:59 — Explaining the character: “rich douchebag” meets crypto satire
• 17:54 — Barstool Sports for NFTs: business motivation and ethos
• 20:57 — Viral girlfriend saga and ethical lines in content
• 25:58 — Avax yacht party hoax: how it was staged, went viral and lessons learned
• 34:50 — How Nick got into crypto, career roots in tech and media
• 39:25 — Nick’s background in acting, physical comedy, and why his look “works”
• 43:30 — Kobe’s “savage” tweet about Nick's appearance, and Nick’s reaction
• 48:35 — The mechanics and future risks of viral, controversial content

Conclusion

This episode offers a deep dive into the evolution of viral crypto content, personal branding, and the blurred lines between genuine commentary and parody in the crypto media landscape. Nick O’Neill’s story epitomizes how controversy, self-awareness, and intentional self-satire can drive enormous engagement—and how, underneath the caricature, lies a nuanced approach to building an audience, a business, and a new breed of crypto-native journalism.