In this article, I will examine the Biggest People In Crypto in 2024. These influential people have changed the way things are done in the industry.
They are usually entrepreneurial innovators and leaders with a vision that pushes technology forward and market trends and regulations.
Their strategic moves have been instrumental in creating blockchain technology and determining where digital assets will go next.
Key Point & Biggest People In Crypto 2024 List
| Name | Key Point |
|---|---|
| Elon Musk | Founder of SpaceX and Tesla; influential in tech and innovation. |
| Satoshi Nakamoto | Pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin and blockchain technology. |
| Brian Armstrong | Co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, a major cryptocurrency exchange. |
| Micree Zhan | Co-founder of Bitmain, a leading Bitcoin mining hardware producer. |
| Barry Silbert | Founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group, a major cryptocurrency investment firm. |
| Chris Larsen | Co-founder of Ripple, known for its digital payment protocol. |
| Tim Draper | Venture capitalist known for investing in Bitcoin and blockchain startups. |
| Jed McCaleb | Co-founder of Ripple and Stellar, influential in digital payment systems. |
| Devin Finzer & Alex Atallah | Co-founders of OpenSea, a leading NFT marketplace. |
| Changpeng Zhao (CZ) | Founder and CEO of Binance, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. |
10 Biggest People In Crypto 2024
1. Elon Musk
2024 saw the rise of Elon Musk, one of the most critical persons in the cryptocurrency industry.
He is not directly involved in cryptos or blockchains, but his influence cannot be ignored.
His posts and utterances about Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and other virtual currencies have significantly impacted prices and attracted plenty of press coverage.
As a technology genius and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, he gives some weight to his views even when it’s all about crypto-assets.
Musk’s involvement in the game, where high-tech meets finance plus social impact, shows how our digital money can change tomorrow.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Elon Reeve Musk |
| Date of Birth | June 28, 1971 |
| Place of Birth | Pretoria, South Africa |
| Citizenship | South Africa, Canada, United States |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA in Economics, BS in Physics) |
| Net Worth | Approximately $241 billion (as of August 2024) |
| Family | Parents: Errol Musk, Maye Musk; Siblings: Kimbal Musk, Tosca Musk; Children: 12 |
| Notable Achievements | Founded SpaceX, Tesla, Inc., The Boring Company, Neuralink, OpenAI; Acquired Twitter (renamed X) in 2022 |
2. Satoshi Nakamoto
In the cryptocurrency space in 2024, Satoshi Nakamoto is one of the most mysterious and influential people.
Nakamoto’s creation of Bitcoin has fundamentally changed the financial landscape as a decentralized digital economy.
However, despite their secretiveness, Nakamoto’s foundational works still guide the evolution of blockchain technology and other cryptocurrencies.
Nakamoto’s original ICT whitepaper still defines Bitcoin, operations, and decentralization as ideal models for cryptocurrencies in 2024.
In this era of modern innovations that can change everything about finance, Nakamoto will be remembered for his revolutionary contributions to financial technology.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Satoshi Nakamoto (pseudonym) |
| Known For | Inventing Bitcoin, implementing the first blockchain |
| Key Work | Authored the Bitcoin white paper “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” (2008) |
| First Bitcoin Release | January 9, 2009 |
| Active Period | 2008 – 2010 |
| Nationality | Presumed to be Japanese, but true identity remains unknown |
| Estimated Bitcoin Holdings | Between 750,000 and 1,100,000 Bitcoins |
| Net Worth | Estimated up to $73 billion (as of November 2021) when Bitcoin peaked |
| Notable Contributions | Developed the first blockchain database, introduced the concept of cryptocurrency |
3. Brian Armstrong
One of the highlights of cryptocurrency in 2024 is Brian Armstrong, known for being a Coinbase co-founder and CEO.
During Armstrong’s tenure, this has become one of the largest and most potent crypto exchanges globally.
Its services are offered to millions of customers, facilitating mainstream digital asset integration.
Through his advocacy for regulatory clarity and efforts to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the crypto world, Armstrong positions himself as a key figure shaping this sector in the future.
Hence, his influence on the development of the cryptocurrency ecosystem can hardly be overestimated because it has been fueled by his vision and leadership so far.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Brian Armstrong |
| Date of Birth | January 25, 1983 |
| Place of Birth | Near San Jose, California, USA |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Master of Science in Computer Science from Rice University |
| Key Roles | Co-founder & CEO of Coinbase |
| Previous Roles | Software Engineer at Airbnb, Consultant at Deloitte, Intern at IBM |
| Founded | UniversityTutor.com (2003), GiveCrypto (2018) |
| Net Worth | Approximately $10.2 billion (as of July 2024) |
| Notable Achievements | Took Coinbase public in 2021, leading the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S. |
| Awards | Listed in Forbes Billionaires, Forbes 400, Crypto Rich List |
4. Micree Zhan
In 2024, Micree Zhan was the most critical person in the world of cryptocurrencies, owing to his role as one of the founders of Bitmain, one of the largest Bitcoin mining hardware manufacturers.
Zhan’s innovations have made it possible to mine cryptocurrency more efficiently and boost its capability, reinforcing Bitmain as a significant infrastructure for blockchains.
These innovations have impacted the mining sector and the entire cryptocurrency market by driving technology changes and facilitating Bitcoin’s growth.
In 2024, Zhan continues to play a central role that underlines the significance of digital asset mining technology in developing crypto asset settings.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Zhan Ketuan (Micree Zhan) |
| Date of Birth | January 29, 1979 |
| Place of Birth | Minhou County, Fujian, China |
| Education | Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from Shandong University; Master’s degree in Microelectronics Engineering from the Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Key Roles | Co-founder & CEO of Bitmain Technologies |
| Previous Roles | Engineer at the Information Technology Research Institute, Tsinghua University |
| Founded | Bitmain Technologies (2013) |
| Net Worth | Approximately $3.2 billion (as of 2020) |
| Awards | Named the richest cryptocurrency billionaire by Hurun Report (2018) |
5. Barry Silber
By 2024, Barry Silbert will still be a significant figure in the digital currency community because of his position as the creator and Executive Officer of Digital Currency Group (DCG).
After investing in and incubating many well-known blockchain companies and cryptocurrency startups, DCG is now influential in cryptocurrency.
From enabling institutional investors to invest in digital assets to supporting innovative new firms, Silbert has played a vital role in shaping the development of this field.
From then until now, he has continually contributed to the growth and maturation of the cryptocurrency space, thereby situating him as one of the elites driving its transformation.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Barry Silbert |
| Occupation | Founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group (DCG) |
| Net Worth | $3.2 billion (as of 2022) |
| Major Achievements | – Founded Digital Currency Group (DCG) |
| – Sold SecondMarket to Nasdaq in 2015 | |
| – Named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year (2009) | |
| Key Companies | – Digital Currency Group (DCG) |
| – Grayscale Investments | |
| – Genesis Trading | |
| – CoinDesk | |
| Residence | Rye, New York, USA |
| Education | Emory University |
| Previous Occupation | Investment Banker |
| Notable Investments | Over 200 crypto startups |
| Age | 48 years old |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Source of Wealth | Cryptocurrency, Self-made |
6. Chris Larsen
Chris Larsen will be remembered as a well-known person in cryptocurrency in 2024 due to his co-founding of Ripple and its digital payment protocol.
Through faster cross-border payments, Ripple’s mission has been propelled by Larsen’s visionary approach.
His work has contributed significantly to adopting blockchain technology in traditional finance, making Ripple a significant player in the changing financial infrastructure.
Furthermore, Larsen remains instrumental in connecting traditional finance with digital assets, which has been critical for him playing the most transformative role in this industry regarding cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Chris Larsen |
| Birth Year | 1960 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.S. in International Business and Accounting, San Francisco State University; MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business |
| Occupation | Business Executive, Angel Investor |
| Known For | Co-founding Ripple, E-Loan, and Prosper |
| Current Role | Executive Chairman of Ripple Labs |
| Notable Achievements | – Co-founded Ripple in 2012 to facilitate international payments using blockchain technology |
| – Co-founded E-Loan in 1996, the first company to freely provide consumers’ FICO credit scores | |
| – Co-founded Prosper in 2005, a peer-to-peer lending marketplace | |
| Philanthropy | Donated $25 million to San Francisco State University in 2019 |
| Residence | San Francisco, California |
7. Tim Draper
The cryptocurrency industry has not forgotten Tim Draper, whose investments in Bitcoin and blockchain startups were among the earliest and most influential.
His disruptive technology support as a venture capitalist and founder of Draper Associates has been instrumental in fostering the growth and acceptance of digital currencies.
For this reason, his visionary stance, open endorsement of Bitcoin, and various blockchain projects have made him a leading proponent of cryptocurrency’s prospective capacity to revolutionize industries.
Draper’s influence goes beyond investment; his thoughts and prophecies guide conversations about the direction digital finance and technology may take.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Tim Draper |
| Full Name | Timothy Cook Draper |
| Birth Date | June 11, 1958 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University; MBA, Harvard Business School |
| Occupation | Venture Capitalist |
| Known For | Founding Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), Draper University, Draper Venture Network, and Draper Associates |
| Current Role | Partner at Draper Goren Holm since 2019 |
| Notable Investments | Baidu, Hotmail, Skype, Tesla, SpaceX, AngelList, SolarCity, Ring, Twitter, DocuSign, Coinbase, Robinhood, Ancestry.com, Twitch, Cruise Automation, PrettyLitter, Focus Media |
| Cryptocurrency | Proponent of Bitcoin; purchased 29,656 bitcoins from the Silk Road auction in 2014 |
| Philanthropy | Established Draper University in 2012 |
| Residence | Atherton, California |
8. Jed McCaleb
In 2024, Jed McCaleb still appears as one of the critical figures of the cryptocurrency world, recognized for his foundational role in building some vital digital platforms.
As a co-founder of Ripple and Stellar, Jed McCaleb has been at the forefront of developing technologies that enable frictionless and scalable cross-border payments.
His contributions have influenced the emergence of digital financial architecture, making blockchain more accessible and practical. He is still participating in innovative projects.
McCaleb constantly influences changes within the crypto industry, showing his visionary approach to decentralized finance expansion.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Jed McCaleb |
| Birth Date | June 8, 1975 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Attended University of California, Berkeley (did not graduate) |
| Occupation | Programmer, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist |
| Known For | Founding eDonkey, Mt. Gox, Ripple, and Stellar |
| Current Role | CTO of Stellar Development Foundation; CEO of Vast |
| Notable Achievements | – Created Mt. Gox, the first major Bitcoin exchange |
| – Co-founded Ripple in 2012 | |
| – Co-founded Stellar in 2014 | |
| Net Worth | Approximately $2.9 billion as of July 2024 |
| Philanthropy | Known for significant contributions to blockchain and cryptocurrency development |
| Residence | Berkeley, California |
9. Devin Finzer & Alex Atallah
By 2024, Devin Finzer and Alex Atallah will be well-known names in the cryptocurrency industry as co-founders of OpenSea, the biggest NFT (non-fungible token) marketplace.
Their insight and guidance have significantly contributed to mainstreaming NFTs and changing how digital assets are bought, sold, or evaluated.
With its thriving digital art and collectibles ecosystem, the platform has become a one-stop venue for artists and collectors.
With this development in mind, it is reasonable to say that their involvement in the NFT industry impacts its future direction.
They could be seen as instrumental figures who helped shape blockchain technology’s development into current society’s version of digitized ownership.
| Devin Finzer | Alex Atallah |
|---|---|
| Co-founder and CEO of OpenSea | Co-founder and CTO of OpenSea |
| Founded OpenSea in 2017 | Founded OpenSea in 2017 |
| Background in software engineering | Background in software engineering |
| Estimated stake in OpenSea: $2.2 billion (as of January 2022) | Estimated stake in OpenSea: $2.2 billion (as of January 2022) |
| Previously worked at Pinterest and Palantir | Previously worked at Palantir and Zugata |
10. Changpeng Zhao (CZ)
CZ, also known as Changpeng Zhao, is a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency space, Ex CEO, and founder of Binance, one of the biggest crypto exchanges globally.
Under him, Binance has diversified to offer other services such as staking, lending, and decentralized finance (DeFi) in addition to its average trading operations.
His strategic vision and relentless innovation have been instrumental in driving the global acceptance of digital assets and shaping the exchange space.
He merges this through his advocacy for crypto regulation and contributions within the broader blockchain ecosystem, making him an instrumental player in industry growth.
| Key Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Changpeng Zhao (CZ) |
| Birthplace | Jiangsu, China |
| Nationality | Chinese-Canadian |
| Known For | Founder and former CEO of Binance |
| Founded Binance | 2017 |
| Net Worth | Estimated $39.6 billion (as of March 2024) |
| Legal Issues | Pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in 2023 |
| Residence | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Previous Work | Built high-frequency trading systems for Wall Street |
| Notable Events | Resigned from Binance in 2023 as part of a plea agreement |
How To Choose Biggest People In Crypto 2024
Here are some things to think about when trying to find the most critical people in crypto for 2024:
Influence and Audience: Look for people who have many followers on social media, frequent speaking engagements, or are often in the news.
Impact on Industry: It is best to focus on individuals running big projects/platforms, making critical investments, or leading new developments.
Public Awareness: Check whether they’ve been mentioned in significant cryptocurrency publications, received awards, or done high-profile interviews.
Network: See if they work together often with other top figures/institutions within this field.
Conclusion
These people will be the biggest in crypto in 2024 due to their substantial input into technological advancements, market weight, and leadership within the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry.
In addition to shaping the current landscape through influential projects and companies, they have also been driving the growth of this sector by fighting for regulatory clarity and fostering a more robust community of dedicated individuals.
Their ability to face challenges, accommodate changes in the business environment, and give assurances to both investors and fans demonstrate how essential their role is during the ongoing digital asset ecosystem shaping process.
As we look ahead to future cryptocurrency and blockchain technology trends, these leaders’ impact will be indispensable towards achieving its full potential.
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