The cryptocurrency space is filled with rags-to-riches stories. Early investors and innovators made millions and, in some cases, even billions of dollars. Some made their wealth by investing in successful projects, while others created platforms for other users to interact with blockchain applications and buy crypto assets.
Let’s take a look at the top three crypto billionaires and how they made it big.
Top 3 cryptocurrency billionaires
Changpeng Zhao (CZ):
CZ is the biggest crypto billionaire with a net worth of around $33 billion. CZ founded the crypto exchange Binance in 2017. The platform quickly grew into the biggest crypto exchange by volume. As of March 2024, CZ was the 35th richest person in the world.
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Despite his incredible wealth, CZ has faced a fair share of troubles as the Binance chief. He pleaded guilty to money-launder charges in November 2023. As part of his plea, CZ stepped down as the CEO of Binance and agreed to pay a fine of $50 million.
Brian Armstrong:
Brian Armstrong is the second richest personality in the cryptocurrency space, with a net worth of around $11.2 billion. Armstrong founded the Coinbase crypto exchange in 2013 along with Fred Ehrsam. Armstrong has sold over $170 million worth of Coinbase stock since November 2023.
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Coinbase is among the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges in the world with trade volumes exceeding $900 million on a weekly basis.
Giancarlo Devasini:
Giancarlo Devasini is the chief financial offer at Tether, the company that issues the USDT stablecoin. Devasini is also likely the largest shareholder of Tether. According to Forbes, Devasini holds a 47% stake in Tether. He has a reported net worth of $9.2 billion.
According to Forbes tether generated over $6 billion in profits last year, from interests generated from holding clients’ collateral.