Crypto Billionaires: 13 Richest People in Crypto in 2024

The rise of cryptocurrencies has created a new wave of crypto billionaires and millionaires. While they might have earned their fortunes in different ways, they all had something in common: they saw the potential in this emerging technology and were willing to take on the risks.

So, who made the most money from Bitcoin and other crypto investments?

This article delves into the backgrounds, stories, and meteoric rises to wealth of 15 cryptocurrency billionaires who have amassed incredible fortunes and secured their place among the world’s elite.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Top Crypto Billionaires: 15 People Who Got Rich From Bitcoin & Other Crypto Investments
3. Worldwide Crypto Wealth Statistics
4. The Bottom Line: The Value of Taking Smart Risks
5. FAQs
6. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Top Crypto Billionaires: 15 People Who Got Rich From Bitcoin & Other Crypto Investments
3. Worldwide Crypto Wealth Statistics
Show Full Guide
4. The Bottom Line: The Value of Taking Smart Risks
5. FAQs
6. References

Top Crypto Billionaires: 15 People Who Got Rich From Bitcoin & Other Crypto Investments

Before we start, let’s talk about what a crypto billionaire is. In this article, we include individuals on the crypto billionaires list if they have amassed their over $1 billion in net worth by creating a company, product or services within the crypto industry or through crypto investments.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ) – $59.9 Billion Net Worth

The first position in our list of the richest crypto investors goes to Changpeng Zhao. Commonly known as CZ, Changpeng Zhao is a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange in terms of trading volume.

CZ’s journey to wealth began in the early 2000s when he started working in the tech industry. He held various positions at companies like Bloomberg Tradebook, Fusion Systems, and Blockchain.com. His experience in these roles gave him a deep understanding of trading systems, matching engines, and blockchain technology.

CZ’s wealth primarily stems from his success with Binance and its affiliated tokens. He founded the company in 2017 and spearheaded it to become one of the most popular and influential cryptocurrency exchanges globally.

Through Binance, CZ introduced Binance coin (BNB), which gained widespread adoption as the exchange grew in popularity. BNB has since appreciated significantly in value, further contributing to CZ’s wealth.

It is important to note that CZ’s estimated net worth is not publicly available, as Binance is a privately held company. However, Forbes estimated CZ’s wealth to be $59.9 billion as of November 4, 2024 which made CZ the richest crypto billionaire in the world.

Some analysts believe that the crypto billionaire is much wealthier, but these claims could be just speculation.

According to Forbes’ 2022 billionaires rankings, the crypto boss’s net worth was $65 billion in 2022 before the crypto meltdown.

In 2024, CZ was sentenced to four months in prison for violating US banking laws. He was fined $50 million and was forced to step down as the CEO of Binance. CZ was released from prison in late-September 2024.

Giancarlo Devasini – $9.2 Billion Net Worth

Giancarlo Devasini is the co-founder of crypto exchange Bitfinex and stablecoin issuing company Tether. Devasini is currently the chief financial officer of Bitfinex and Tether.

Devasini’s net worth was estimated to be $9.2 billion by Forbes, which made him one of the richest crypto owners in the world as of November 4, 2024.

Much of Devasini’s wealth comes from his shareholding at Tether and Bitfinex. While Bitfinex was a popular crypto exchange with a 24-hour trade volume of about $168.4 million, as of November 4, it was Tether that is seen as the cash cow of Devasini’s crypto empire.

In late October 2024, Tether released its third-quarter report. The USDT stablecoin issuer reported a quarterly net profit of $2.5 billion on the back of demand for its stablecoin and strong market performance of its gold holdings. Meanwhile, Tether’s net profit for the first nine months of 2024 stood at $7.7 billion.

According to Forbes, Devasini is estimated to hold a 47% stake in Tether.

Brian Armstrong – $8 Billion Net Worth

The third place in the list of richest people in crypto goes to Brian Armstrong, an American entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, the largest US-based cryptocurrency exchange.

Prior to Coinbase, Armstrong worked as a software engineer at various tech companies, including IBM and Airbnb. However, it was his involvement with cryptocurrency that paved his way to fortune.

In 2012, Armstrong co-founded Coinbase. Courtesy of its easy-to-use interface and robust security measures, the platform found increasing popularity among both novice and experienced crypto enthusiasts.

Coinbase’s success has been closely intertwined with the surging popularity of cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin. As the value of cryptocurrencies soared, Coinbase benefited from the increased trading volumes, transaction fees, and exchange commissions, all of which contributed to Armstrong’s wealth.

Furthermore, Coinbase became the first cryptocurrency exchange to go public. In April 2021, the company’s shares were listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange through a direct listing, making Armstrong a billionaire as his stake in the company gained significant value.

According to Forbes, Armstrong’s wealth was worth $8 billion as of November 4, 2024.

Michael Saylor – $6 Billion Net Worth

Michael Saylor is the co-founder of an American enterprise analytics software company MicroStrategy. Saylor is famous for being a Bitcoin bull.

Under the leadership of Saylor, the company undertook a strategy to accumulate bitcoin by using company cash flow and proceeds from equity and debt financing.

At the time of writing, Microstrategy held 252,220 bitcoins worth $17.63 billion which made the company the biggest corporate holders of bitcoin.

As the biggest shareholder in Microstrategy, Saylor was a Bitcoin billionaire whose net worth was estimated to be about $6 billion by Forbes.

Saylor’s net worth saw a significant increase in value from 2022 to 2024 as the crypto market bounced back from a bear market. In 2024 alone, Bitcoin returned over 65% year-to-date as of November 4. At the time of writing, BTC was only 5% below its all-time high level.

Additionally, Microstrategy’s strong performance in the stock market in 2024 has also helped Saylor cement his position among top 15 crypto billionaires in the world. As of November 4, Microstrategy stock has gained 256% year-to-date to hit a market cap of over $49.5 billion.

Saylor owned a 9.9% stake in MicroStrategy, data compiled by Fintel showed.

Barry Silbert – $3.2 Billion Net Worth

Barry Silbert is an American entrepreneur and investor who is best known as the founder and CEO of Digital Currency Group (DCG), a venture capital firm focused on the cryptocurrency industry.

Silbert began his career in finance working at the investment banking firm Houlihan Lokey, focusing on distressed debt. In 2004, he founded SecondMarket, an online marketplace for illiquid assets, including private company shares.

Silbert recognized the potential of Bitcoin trading early on and founded the Bitcoin Investment Trust (BIT) in 2013, which offered accredited investors the opportunity to invest in Bitcoin without needing to directly hold the digital currency.

BIT became the first publicly traded BTC investment vehicle, and it played a significant role in bringing Bitcoin into the mainstream.

In 2015, Silbert rebranded SecondMarket as Digital Currency Group (DCG), expanding the company’s focus to include not just Bitcoin but also other cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based technologies.

DCG has since become a major player in the cryptocurrency trading industry through its diverse portfolio of investments and its subsidiary companies, including Grayscale Investments, Genesis, CoinDesk, and more.

Through his successful ventures in cryptocurrency and blockchain-related investments, Silbert has amassed significant wealth.

According to Forbes, Silbert’s wealth was estimated at $3.2 billion at the time of writing.

Chris Larsen – $3 Billion Net Worth

Chris Larsen is an American entrepreneur and business executive known for his involvement in the creation of cryptocurrency companies. He co-founded Ripple Labs, the company behind the controversial blockchain-based payment protocol Ripple.

Ripple’s XRP cryptocurrency quickly gained popularity and became one of the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Through his involvement with Ripple, Larsen accumulated significant wealth.

Forbes has recognized him as one of the richest people in the cryptocurrency industry. At the peak of XRP’s value in early 2018, Larsen’s estimated net worth reached $4.6 billion.

His current net worth was estimated at $3 billion, according to Forbes.

Jed McCaleb – $2.9 Billion Net Worth

Jed McCaleb is an American programmer and entrepreneur. He is best known as the co-founder and former CTO of Ripple, a digital payment protocol, and the creator of the decentralized cryptocurrency Stellar Lumen (XLM).

In 2010, McCaleb became interested in Bitcoin trading and founded the first major Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox. The platform grew to handle over 70% of all Bitcoin transactions at its peak.

However, it faced security issues and was eventually hacked, resulting in the loss of a significant amount of BTC. McCaleb sold Mt. Gox to Mark Karpeles in 2011 and distanced himself from the platform.

Following his experience with Mt. Gox, Jed McCaleb turned his attention to creating a new decentralized cryptocurrency. In 2014, he co-founded Ripple and served as its CTO until 2013.

After leaving Ripple, McCaleb focused on creating Stellar. Launched in 2014, the project aims to connect financial institutions and facilitate cross-border transactions for the unbanked population.

Through his cryptocurrency ventures, particularly the creation and development of Ripple and Stellar, Jed McCaleb has accumulated a massive fortune and made it to the list of top crypto billionaires.

Forbes estimated that his fortune was worth $2.9 billion as of November 4, 2024

Winklevoss Twins – $2.7 Billion Net Worth Each

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, popularly known as the Winklevoss Twins, are American entrepreneurs and investors best known for their portrayal in a biopic called The Social Network, which depicted the founding years of social media company Facebook.

The Winklevoss Twins went on to sue Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg for stealing their idea for a social networking platform. In 2009, they settled the dispute for $65 million.

The twins choose to make $45 million of the settlement in Facebook stock. This decision was described as “one of the best decisions they ever made” as Facebook stock quintupled since 2009.

In 2012, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss used the proceeds from the settlement to invest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. At one point in time, it is said that the Winklevoss Twins purchased around 1% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply.

The Twins did not stop at becoming Bitcoin millionaires, instead, they went on to create a crypto exchange called Gemini.

As of November 4, 2024, Forbes estimates showed Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss were worth about $2.7 billion each.

Fred Ehrsam – $2.4 Billion Net Worth

Fred Ehrsam is an American entrepreneur and investor who co-founded Coinbase with Brian Armstrong in 2012.

Ehrsam’s journey toward wealth began when he joined Goldman Sachs as a trader in the firm’s foreign exchange (forex) division. However, his interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology led him to leave Goldman Sachs and co-found Coinbase.

Under Ehrsam’s co-leadership, Coinbase experienced rapid growth and became one of the most prominent players in the cryptocurrency industry. It attracted millions of users and facilitated billions of dollars in cryptocurrency transactions.

Ehrsam left Coinbase in 2017 and later founded crypto venture capital Paradigm in 2018. Today, Paradigm has grown to become one of the biggest crypto investment firms in the world, with over $8 billion in assets under management in projects such as Uniswap, Flashbots, Starkware, and Farcaster.

According to Forbes, as of November 4, 2024, Ehrsam’s net worth was $2.4 billion.

Devin Finzer – $2.2 Billion Net Worth

Devin Finzer is the co-founder of OpenSea, one of the largest marketplaces for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and digital assets. OpenSea gained significant popularity with the rise of NFTs, which are unique digital assets verified by blockchain technology.

Prior to OpenSea, Devin Finzer worked as a software engineer at Pinterest. He teamed up with Alex Atallah in 2017 to launch OpenSea, which quickly became a prominent platform for buying, selling, and trading NFTs.

The marketplace gained significant attention in 2021 as NFTs became mainstream, attracting high-profile buyers and sellers. OpenSea has also reported billions of dollars in transaction volume on its platform, taking a small commission on each sale.

As a result, Finzer has amassed significant wealth through his role as co-founder of OpenSea.

He had a net worth of $2.2 billion, according to Forbes.

Alex Atallah – $2.2 Billion Net Worth

Alex Atallah is a technology entrepreneur and another co-founder of OpenSea. Atallah has a diverse background, beginning his career in investment banking at J.P. Morgan before co-founding a couple of startups.

He co-founded a mapping technology start-up called Sensopia in 2010, which developed the popular MagicPlan app that allows users to create floor plans using augmented reality. The app gained traction and became successful, contributing to Atallah’s early success.

In 2017, Atallah shifted his focus to the emerging field of blockchain technology and NFTs. Alongside Devin Finzer, he co-founded OpenSea, which would go on to become the leading marketplace for trading digital assets, particularly NFTs.

The company’s success has positioned Atallah as a prominent figure in the NFT space.

Similar to Finzer, Atallah’s net worth was estimated at $2.2 billion.

Kim Hyoung-Nyon – $1.95 Billion

Kim Hyoung-Nyon is a well-known South Korean fintech entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and executive vice president of Dunamu, which operates South Korea’s dominant cryptocurrency exchange.

Hyoung-Nyon launched Dunamu with Song Chi-hyung in 2012. Since then, the company has become the most popular crypto exchange in South Korea and has attracted substantial investment from notable firms, including Kakao Ventures and Altos Ventures.

Through his involvement with Dunamu, Hyoung-Nyon has become one of South Korea’s first crypto billionaires.

Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.95 billion at the time of writing.

Nikil Viswanathan and Joe Lau – $1.5 Billion Net Worth Each

Nikil Viswanathan and Joe Lau are co-founders of Alchemy, a technology company that provides infrastructure for blockchain developers.

They started Alchemy in 2017 with the aim of providing developers with tools and services to build decentralized applications (dApps) on the blockchain.

Alchemy offers a range of solutions to help developers improve the performance, scalability, and user experience of their dApps.

Both Viswanathan and Lau have backgrounds in technology and engineering, and they have been instrumental in driving the growth and success of Alchemy in the blockchain industry.

In February last year, the company raised $200 million at a $10.2 billion valuation, making Viswanathan and Lau billionaires and some of the richest people in crypto.

According to Forbes, Viswanathan and Lau were each worth $1.5 billion at the time of writing.

Worldwide Crypto Wealth Statistics

According to Henley & Partners’ Crypto Wealth Report 2024, 172,300 individuals worldwide held over $1 million in crypto assets in June 2024.

Henry Burrows, CEO of Hoptrail, highlighted the change in wealth creation patterns. He said:

“Among previous generations, by and large wealth derived from property and stocks. But today, it stems from Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs, initial coin offerings, mining, yield farming, and staking. And in many cases, staggering returns are made from relatively small amounts of initial capital.”

The Bottom Line: The Value of Taking Smart Risks

Will the new crypto bull run create a new list of crypto billionaires? Although crypto trading may seem bursting with lucrative investment opportunities, it’s important to note that not everyone who has entered the crypto market has experienced the same success.

Furthermore, the volatile nature of cryptocurrencies and the ever-changing regulatory landscape make it essential for potential investors to proceed with caution.

Nonetheless, the stories of these crypto billionaires serve as a testament to the potential for wealth creation that lies within this disruptive technology. As cryptocurrencies continue to evolve and gain mainstream acceptance, there may be more success stories on the horizon.

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