25 Most Prominent Crypto Entrepreneurs, and Innovators ranked by net MarketCap [Download PDF file here]
No industry has created such vast wealth, at least on paper, as the crypto industry, and in such a short timeframe.
However, the crypto industry has also caused a lot of controversy, including confrontations with authorities (e.g., the US SEC).
It is also highly unusual that the wealthiest person on this list, Changpeng Zhao (Net MarketCap ~$37 billion), has actually served jail time, being found guilty of money laundering violations.
At the other end of the list, we find that Sam Bankman-Fried still holds a net market cap of ~$250 million.
From ChatGPT:
“Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was convicted on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in November 2023. On March 28, 2024, he was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. AP News
As of January 2025, Bankman-Fried is incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York. Reports indicate that he has been assigned to the same dormitory-style cell as rapper Sean Combs. Wikipedia
In addition to his prison sentence, Bankman-Fried was ordered to pay $11.02 billion in forfeiture for his fraudulent activities. Wikipedia
Bankman-Fried has appealed his conviction and sentence, with the appeals process expected to take several years. Wikipedia”
The crypto industry still has a way to go to improve protection and counter money laundering and terror financing.
Another controversy is the power requirement needed for mining.
On the other hand, Bitcoin mining can also help fund renewable energy.
One company that has demonstrated this is the startup Carnetic, which has made its wind turbine open-source/public domain and promotes the fact that “trapped” wind energy can be used for crypto mining, thereby helping fund renewable energy.
Bottom line: Crypto is still going strong, despite its high volatility. It still has some way to go before overtaking the gold marketcap ($18T vs. Bitcoin $1.85T, as of January 9, 2025).
Also, how Crypto and AI will play out is still to be seen.
