By
Chimamanda U. Martha
April 25th, 2024
According to Forbes’ 2024 World Billionaires List, crypto has made more billionaires this year than it did in 2023.
The crypto winter is over, and the market, which was a shadow of itself just a few months ago, is now booming once again. However, just like every other time that the crypto space undergoes a significant change after a bear run, it crowns new kings and queens of cryptocurrency, the so-called crypto billionaires. So, the year 2024 has not been any different in this regard.
Bitcoin has more than doubled in the last 12 months to reach a record-breaking $73,000 in March. As expected, the surge has not only revitalized the market but also created a new class of billionaires. Call them blockchain billionaires or crypto kings and queens, here are the ten richest people in crypto in 2024.
Top 10 Crypto Billionaires
According to Forbes’ 2024 World Billionaires List, crypto has made more billionaires this year than last. That is, 2024 has helped make 17 crypto billionaires compared to nine in 2023. Here’re the top 10 of them:
10. Jedburgh McCaleb
Known for creating the first major Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, which was handling over 70% of all Bitcoin transactions worldwide, McCaleb is estimated to be worth around $2.9 billion.
9. Matthew Roszak
Roszak is an early Bitcoin investor who ventured into the business in 2010. He has an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion, having made most of his wealth from betting early on various crypto projects.
8. Fred Ehrsam
Ehrsam founded Coinbase alongside Armstrong in 2012. However, he later left the company but maintained ownership of about 5% of the company’s stock. His net worth is $3.2 billion.
7. Chris Larsen
The co-founder and former CEO of Ripple is estimated to be worth $3.2 billion. Not only does he have an 18% stake in the company, but he also reportedly has over 2.8 billion XRP tokens and nearly $1 billion in cash investments.
6. Jean-Louis van der Velde
van der Velde’s figures (both old and new net worths) are exactly the same as Ardoino’s. The former Tether CEO currently also holds an estimated 20% stake in the company and serves as a figurehead, helping Tether to facilitate strategic relationships with banks and regulators.
5. Paolo Ardoino
The Tether CEO is now worth $3.9 billion, up from $1.8 billion last July.
4. Michael Saylor
Percentage-wise, Michael Saylor is the biggest gainer from crypto. He has gone from a net worth of $760 million to $4.4 billion. Shares of his company MicroStrategy are up nearly 500% from last year, while he also has a personal holding of around 17,732 Bitcoins.
3. Giancarlo Devasini
At $9.2 billion net worth, Devasini is the CFO of Tether and holds an estimated 47% stake in the company. He was estimated to be worth $4 billion as of last July.
2. Brian Armstrong
The CEO of Coinbase joins CZ in the ranks of crypto royalty. His estimated net worth is $11.2 billion, up from $2.2 billion last year. Armstrong’s fortunes skyrocketed as a result of his company’s share quadrupling in value over the past year.
1. Changpeng Zhao (CZ)
The visionary founder and ex-CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance stands tall as the richest person in the crypto world. Despite his current legal troubles, his estimated net worth is a whopping $33 billion, up from $10.5 billion a year ago.
Growing Relevance of Crypto
For what it’s worth, the individuals mentioned above stand as testaments to the growing relevance of cryptocurrency in all facets of life. For someone like CZ, who is the richest person in crypto for the third consecutive year, he may have hacked how to capitalize on the fast-evolving crypto market. New entrants on the crypto billionaires list, such as Michael Saylor, however, tell a tale of the massive potential of the digital asset space.