Our previous article gained quite a lot of views in a short time, so we decided to expand the topic a bit.
Analysts at CryptoDiffer published a list of the largest cryptocurrency billionaires — people who not only invest in the market but actually shape its infrastructure, liquidity, and key directions of development. We are talking about entrepreneurs and founders of projects whose companies provide the operation of exchanges, stablecoins, blockchain networks, and investment platforms. These players have the greatest influence on the crypto economy.
The undisputed leader of the ranking remains Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the founder of the largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance. According to analysts’ estimates, his fortune reaches about $110 billion. Binance has remained one of the main liquidity hubs in the global crypto market for many years, and CZ himself has become one of the most recognizable figures in the industry.
The next positions on the list are occupied by representatives of Tether — the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin USDT. This company plays a key role in the crypto economy, as stablecoins are now the main instrument of liquidity and settlements on most crypto exchanges.
The list includes: Giancarlo Devasini — about $89.3 billion, Paolo Ardoino — about $38 billion, Jean-Louis van der Velde — about $38 billion.
All three are directly involved in the management and development of Tether, whose capitalization exceeds hundreds of billions of dollars and serves as the foundation for a huge number of trading operations in the market.
Stuart Hoegner, with a fortune of about $24.7 billion, is also among the largest crypto billionaires. He is known as one of the key executives and legal architects of Tether and Bitfinex, who participated in building the company’s legal structure.
Among blockchain project founders in the top list is Chris Larsen, the co-founder of Ripple. His fortune is estimated at about $12.3 billion. Ripple develops payment infrastructure based on blockchain technology and cooperates with financial institutions around the world.
Another well-known industry figure is Justin Sun, the founder of the TRON blockchain platform. His capital is estimated at about $8.5 billion. Sun actively participates in the development of the DeFi ecosystem, stablecoins, and various cryptocurrency projects.
The list also includes Brian Armstrong, the CEO of one of the largest American crypto exchanges, Coinbase. His fortune is estimated at about $8.4 billion. Coinbase is considered one of the most regulated crypto platforms and plays an important role in integrating cryptocurrencies with the traditional financial system.
Investor Michael Novogratz, the founder of the investment company Galaxy Digital, also remains one of the most well-known cryptocurrency entrepreneurs. His fortune is estimated at about $5 billion. Galaxy Digital is involved in investments, asset management, and the development of financial infrastructure for the crypto market.
The ranking also includes Michael Saylor, one of the most vocal Bitcoin supporters among corporate executives. His fortune is estimated at about $4 billion. Under his leadership, MicroStrategy became the largest public corporate holder of Bitcoin, turning the cryptocurrency into a key element of its financial strategy.
Jed McCaleb, the co-founder of the Stellar Development Foundation and one of the early developers of the Ripple ecosystem, has a fortune of about $3.9 billion. He played an important role in the development of blockchain technologies for international payments.
The list is closed by Fred Ehrsam, the co-founder of Coinbase, whose fortune is estimated at about $2.4 billion. Ehrsam also actively invests in cryptocurrency startups and projects through various venture funds.
If you look closely at this list, an important pattern of the crypto industry becomes visible. Most of the largest fortunes were created not through market trading, but through building their own projects — exchanges, blockchain networks, infrastructure services, or investment platforms.
In other words, the main wealth in the cryptocurrency industry is created at the infrastructure level. Those who build platforms, protocols, and ecosystems receive significantly greater opportunities for capitalization than ordinary market participants.
Therefore, one of the key lessons of the modern crypto economy seems quite obvious: the largest fortunes in the industry are formed not so much by buying coins, but by issuing them, developing technologies, and building new financial systems around digital assets.
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