Crypto Billionaires

By SeventyFourSeventyFive | Interesting Thoughts, That Aren't Always Mine | 26 Nov 2025

The below list is from 2024, so I am sure there are a few changes to it. The funny thing I wanted to point out in the list is how these people made their money. The list is made up of people that either created an exchange or payment system, or were early investors in Bitcoin that didn't sell. Most of the true wealth came from these paths, not in buying and selling crypto actively. This is not to say there is not money to be made in it, but, just like the early gold-rushes in the 1800's in the Old West, you were either early to the mining game, you were a large institutional investor that could buy up existing profitable mines, or you sold mining equipment to the miners. Everyone else went broke chasing riches.

Sam Bankman-Fried: This twenty-something MIT graduate founded the derivatives exchange FTX and the quantitative trading firm Alameda Research. His net worth is $8.7 billion.
Brian Armstrong: The co-founder and CEO of Coinbase has a net worth of $8.9 billion.
Chris Larsen: The chairman and co-founder of Ripple, a real-time currency exchange and gross settlement system, has a net worth of $3.4 billion.
Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss: The twin brothers and former Olympic rowers who sued Facebook began buying Bitcoin in 2012 and are worth about $3 billion each.
Michael Saylor: The CEO of software firm MicroStrategy is worth about $2.3 billion, thanks to Bitcoin.
Jed McCaleb: Another Ripple co-founder, he’s worth about $2 billion.
Fred Ehrsam: Armstrong’s Coinbase cofounder, Ehrsam now leads Paradigm, a cryptocurrency-focused investment firm. His net worth is $1.9 billion.
Changpeng Zhao: The founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance is worth $1.9 billion.
Matthew Roszak: The chairman of Bloq, a blockchain infrastructure company, invested in Bitcoin circa 2011 and is worth about $1.5 billion.
Tim Draper: When the US Marshals in 2014 closed the Silk Road cryptocurrency black market, this Silicon Valley venture capitalist bought $18.7 million worth of Bitcoin. It's now worth $1.5 billion.