Cryptocurrency has undeniably revolutionized the concept of wealth and investing over the past decade. By taking considerable risks, individuals from diverse backgrounds have amassed considerable fortunes using this technology. If some crypto billionaires lost their status last year (like Sam Bankman-Fried, known as SBF, former CEO of FTX now sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud and scam), others amass colossal fortunes. Today they are personalities less known to the general public and even anonymous whales. In this article, discover the 22 richest people in the world thanks to cryptocurrencies.
Updated on 04/03/2024 at 7:39 p.m. by Léa
The biggest holders of cryptocurrency
THE cryptocurrencies, for several years, have no longer just been a trend, but a financial reality adopted on a global scale. Their integration into economies such as El Salvador, as well as their adoption by giants, is a testament to their impact and growing acceptance.
This growth raises an increasingly frequent question: who are the richest holders cryptocurrencies today? As Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets continue to reshape our approach to investing, here’s a list of the biggest crypto fortunes in 2024 that reveals the key players in this ever-evolving field.
Satoshi Nakamoto ($76.67 billion)
Satoshi Nakamoto is none other than the founder of Bitcoin. This legendary and mysterious figure possesses around 1.1 million BTC which he never spent.
Changpeng Zhao ($47.7 billion)
He is the founder of Binance, one of the largest and best crypto exchanges in the world. He dominates the market with a colossal fortune.
Brian Armstrong ($11.5 billion)
He is the CEO of Coinbase, a major American exchange platform. Brian Armstrong completes the podium with a significant stake in his company.
Giancarlo Devasini ($9.2 billion)
Devasini is the CFO of Tether. It is a stablecoin issuing company. Devasini holds an important part of the companythus placing him among the richest in the crypto sector.
Anonymous Bitcoin Whale 1 ($6.59 billion)
This mysterious Bitcoin holder owns a significant amount of BTC, making him one of the biggest crypto fortunes.
The Mt. Gox Hackers ($5.57 billion)
The hacking of the Mt. Gox platform in 2011 allowed individuals (still unknown today) to seize a considerable fortune in Bitcoin. According to reports, they still keep them today.
Michael Saylor ($5 billion)
Michael Saylor is known as a strong supporter of Bitcoin. Current CEO of MicroStrategy, he has invested heavily in cryptocurrency. This allowed him to accumulate a significant crypto fortune.
Anonymous Bitcoin Whale 2 ($4.13 billion)
Another anonymous Bitcoin holder, with a significant amount of BTC, is participating in the concentration of wealth in the crypto sector.
Jean-Louis van der Velde ($3.9 billion)
This is the former CEO of Tether and current CEO of Bitfinex. He owns a significant part of Tetherthus giving it a place in the ranking.
Anonymous Bitcoin Whale 3 ($3.76 billion)
This Bitcoin holder has not carried out no transactions since 2014. On the other hand, his fortune remains considerable.
Fred Ehrsam ($3.2 billion)
The Coinbase co-founder has since moved to Paradigm, a crypto investment company he also helped create. Its wealth comes mainly from its remaining shares in Coinbase.
Chris Larsen ($3.2 billion)
He is the co-founder of Ripple, the crypto company behind the XRP token. He saw the value of his fortune fluctuate following a heated lawsuit with the SEC.
Matthew Roszak ($3.1 billion)
He is the co-founder and president of Bloq. This is a company that provides support services to traditional financial institutions wanting to store digital assets.
Anonymous Bitcoin Whale 4 ($3.73 billion)
This Bitcoin holder received a significant amount of BTC from Bitfinex in 2022. He made a few transactions before falling back into anonymity.
Anonymous Bitcoin Whale 5 ($3.6 billion)
In 2018, this holder received over 51,000 BTC. Since then, he has not made any crypto transactions.
Jed McCaleb ($2.9 billion)
A key figure in the world of cryptography, he founded Mt. Gox before co-founding Ripple Labs then Stellar, its competitor. His fortune mainly comes from crypto assets XRP accumulated at Ripple.
Cameron Winklevoss ($2.7 billion)
Known for his lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg over Facebook, he successfully converted back into cryptocurrencies. He is also the co-founder of the crypto platform Gemini. He and his twin brother currently hold a significant amount of bitcoin (BTC).
Tyler Winklevoss ($2.7 billion)
Known for being a staunch supporter of Bitcoin, he also co-founded the Gemini crypto platform. Tyler built his fortune on cryptocurrencies just like his twin brother Cameron Winklevoss.
Mike Novogratz ($2.5 billion)
He is the current CEO of Galaxy Digital, a crypto investment company. He owns a significant share of the company and also owns a significant amount of bitcoins.
Stuart Hoegner ($2.5 billion)
Tether’s general counsel owns a significant stake in the company. The latter has faced legal problems in the past.
Tim Draper ($2 billion)
Coming from the traditional world of Silicon Valley venture capital, he acquired cheaply almost 30,000 BTC. This happened at a US government auction in 2014.
Vitalik Buterin (less than $2 billion)
The co-founder of Ethereum, an emblematic figure in the sector, is not among the crypto billionaires. His significant donations of ETH to India in 2021 have diminished his personal fortune.
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