5 big names in crypto

5 Big Names In Crypto – The Who Is Who Of Blockchain

Blockchain technology is changing the way we live in many ways. Digital contracts bring unprecedented disruption in many business sectors globally. These 5 big names in crypto are working hard to push this process of decentralization to go mainstream.

While legendary personalities like the anonymous Satoshi Nagamoto and Vitalik Buterin are among the main contributors to this digital (r)evolution, other notable people are every day contributing to the development of the crypto space.

The article highlights who is actively working on making blockchain go mainstream to fulfill its original promise of decentralization.

CZ from Binance

When it comes to influential people in crypto, Changpeng Zhao is present on every list. Fondly known as CZ, the Chinese-Canadian coder founded Binance, the largest crypto exchange in the world. Although he majored in computer science at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, CZ has never coded for Binance. 

Today, everyone knows CZ’s success story. However, it was not always the case. CZ was a part of several failed startups, which he says helped him remain optimistic. 

Many people must have assumed that he was crazy when he sold his house and invested everything in crypto. Since then, he has scaled his startup to become the leading crypto exchange on the planet. 

It took Binance less than 180 days to become the top exchange platform, and likely CZ’s contribution is the key to this parabolic growth. Since 2017, he and his team have been at the forefront of every significant crypto innovation. 

Changpeng combines his degree in computer science and a masters’ in business administration. This combination has helped him deal with everything from technology to business development, marketing, finance, legal, and other core aspects.  

CZ has dramatically improved access to crypto with several innovations. Among the latest, the Binance VISA card will help millions quickly spend their crypto at more than 60 million merchants globally. 

Nayib Bukele

Nayib Bukele is the year old president of El-savador. Recently, he announced that he was pushing for the adoption of bitcoin as a legal tender in the country. That made him the first president to push for the adoption of bitcoin as a legal tender. 

There are several reasons behind this bold move. The country loses a significant amount of capital every year due to financial intermediaries’ costs, which Bitcoin’s adoption can drastically cut. A substantial share of the country’s GDP comes from citizens living abroad who send remittances home. However, the 39-year old leader wants to stop banks and other institutions from having a “big chunk” of these remittances. 

In his words, “the amount received by more than a million low-income families will increase in the equivalent of billions of dollars every year.” 

The president made his intentions known at the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami. The country is currently working with a digital wallet company, Strike, to build a modern financial infrastructure using Bitcoin technology.

According to him, adopting Bitcoin as a legal tender will have both short and long-term benefits. That is an excellent move because it will boost economic investments. It will also provide an accessible platform for more than 70% of the population without bank accounts.  

Although some corners insist that the move is politically motivated, it is a welcome development in the crypto world. 

Andreessen / Horowitz

This list will not be complete without including these two legendary investors.

The 2009 financial crisis changed many things. However, for Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, it marked the start of something unique. In a bid to take on silicon valley, the duo set up Andreessen Horowitz (“a16z“), a venture capital firm. 

Their main objective was to help a new generation of tech founders. Over the years, this company has invested in technological solutions across various industries. For a16z, the goal has always been to provide funding to help late-stage tech companies. The firm’s optimism that technology will transform the world for the better has been at the forefront of its operations. 

Currently, a16z has $18.8B in assets under multiple funds. With $3.1B going into funding crypto solutions, a16z has immensely helped the development and growth of crypto. 

Over time, the firm has contributed significantly (both funds and knowledge) to the growth of many crypto startups. However, there seems to be no sign of them slowing down on this. Since their first crypto fund in 2018, the firm has shown its commitment to startups working on blockchain projects. 

Lasse Clausen

As a result of the volatility of crypto, crypto investors come and go. However, those on this list have consistently stayed true to their cause and improved the crypto world. 

For Lasse Clausen, crypto investment has always been a lifestyle. He is the founding partner of an early stage token-oriented fund- 1kx, Which he co-founded with Christopher Heymann. Their mission is simple. To become the most founder-friendly and valuable source of early-stage capital for tokenized projects.  

1kx invests in startups that help to accelerate the adoption of a global, internet-native financial system. With the growth of technology and the internet, the adoption of DeFi asset management is inevitable. 

Before 1kx, Lasse was a software entrepreneur in Berlin and one of the most active token angel investors in Europe. Today, Lasse has investments in several DeFi projects. He and his team have been a significant part of changes in the DeFi landscape.

For Lasse, it is vital to invest in the future. He believes that decentralized token economies will transform the world, and he is putting his money where his mouth is. 

Gabriele Musella

Gabriele Musella is the CEO and co-founder at Coinrule. This meta trading platform is trying to disrupt the world of finance. Coinrule allows users to trade across multiple exchanges with zero coding skills. Also, this tool helps to enhance automated trading for all.

Gabriele was motivated to start his company when he realized how difficult it is to trade crypto. For Gabriele and the rest of the Coinrule team, the goal is simple; improve the user experience. To do this, he and his team had to focus on design-first methodologies.  

Gabriele’s passion for technology led to the creation of a smart assistant designed exclusively for crypto traders. With this tool, inexperienced traders can compete with professionals and hedge funds. 

He brings a wealth of experience from his 15 years of working in industries such as; telecommunications, academic research, and fintech. With all of this, Gabriele never stops learning. He is passionate about mentoring a new generation of crypto entrepreneurs and enthusiasts. 

Gabriele’s efforts have helped to create a unique solution that is a must-have trading tool. However, he is also passionate about creating new and innovative ways of making trading seamless. 

As with others on this list, Gabriele believes that decentralization and tokenization will change the way we manage finances. This belief motivates Gabriele and his team to innovate and create sustainable solutions for crypto traders constantly.     

Follow these 5 big names In crypto to stay up to date with the most relevant trends which are leading the development of blockchain technologies.  

Each of them will provide a different angle, useful to grasp as a whole in what direction the ecosystem is moving to.