Forbes' 2025 list of the world's billionaires has recorded the explosion of the cryptocurrency industry, with 16 people owning net assets of up to tens of billions of dollars. This is a clear testament to the maturity and increasingly solid position of cryptocurrencies in the global financial system.

The rise of cryptocurrencies

2024 marked an important milestone when Bitcoin (BTC) surpassed the six-figure mark for the first time, a Bitcoin spot ETF was approved, and a US presidential candidate attended a Bitcoin conference. These events contributed to the increase in assets in this industry, bringing many crypto entrepreneurs to the Forbes billionaire list.

Tether Adds Four Billionaires

The second-richest person in the crypto sector is Giancarlo Devasini, CFO of Tether, with an estimated fortune of $22.4 billion. In addition, former CEO JL van der Velde, current CEO Paolo Ardoino, and General Counsel Stuart Hoegner also made the billionaire list this year.

Tether has earned a record $13 billion in profits in 2024, an impressive figure for a company with around 100 employees.

Cryptocurrency exchanges – a surefire way to get rich

Binance founder Zhao Changpeng (CZ) continues to be the richest billionaire in the sector with an estimated fortune of $63 billion. Similarly, Coinbase's Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam, along with Gemini's twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, also made the list.

Tron founder Justin Sun is also in this group thanks to his ownership of Polo Digital Assets, the company behind the Poloniex exchange. The bulk of his $8.5 billion fortune is believed to come from Tron.

Cryptocurrency Investors and Entrepreneurs

In addition to exchange founders, the list of crypto billionaires includes a number of prominent investors and entrepreneurs. Ripple’s Chris Larsen and Stellar’s ​​Jed McCaleb have launched their own blockchains, while Tim Draper is best known for his work as a venture capitalist.

Mike Novogratz and Matthew Roszak, two familiar names in the venture capital world, also make the list thanks to their founding of crypto-related companies.

Michael Saylor, President of Strategy, is worth $7.4 billion. He initially made his fortune from software company MicroStrategy, then shifted to managing Bitcoin treasury, which significantly increased his net worth.

Conclusion

The appearance of 16 crypto billionaires on the Forbes 2025 list shows that this field is increasingly asserting its position in the global economy. With the strong development of blockchain technology, decentralized finance (DeFi), and cryptocurrencies, it can be predicted that the number of billionaires in this industry will continue to increase in the future.