The crypto space is constantly evolving, with new concepts, projects, and personalities emerging from time to time. You’ve probably heard of many prominent individuals who have had a major impact on the blockchain, digital assets, and other technologies.
I would like to expand your knowledge about the most well-known representatives who have achieved success in the field of cryptocurrencies and have shaped the industry into what we see today.
From McDonald’s to Binance
Changpeng Zhao. Source: coinmarketcap.com
Who could have imagined that the creator of one of the world’s largest exchanges used to work in the hamburger sales industry?
Changpeng Zhao (CZ)built Binance in just 180 days, and nowadays, perhaps every third person uses it. It all started in July 2017 when CZ gathered digital assets worth $15 million and launched Binance. The cryptocurrency exchange began its journey with 5 tokens in 2 languages. According to the CEO, he formed a team of employees from his friend’s company, and initially, there wasn’t even a marketing department in the company.
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Today, Binance supports over 600 tokens in more than 40 languages, and the customer support team consists of thousands of employees. The BNB chain now powers everything from decentralized exchanges to storage applications. The CEO believes that Binance is not yet a final product, but rather a startup that becomes more functional and provides more opportunities for comfortable use with each passing year.
Changpeng Zhao (CZ) also wrote about his decision on Twitter, stating that he must take responsibility. He appointed Richard Teng as the new CEO of Binance.
According to Forbes, after negotiations with the Ministry of Justice, Binance’s CEO Changpeng Zhao resigned from his position. Zhao’s departure from the CEO role, first reported by Forbes, will not be a complete departure from Binance.
The company’s founder will remain its majority shareholder and a resource for “consultation on historical business areas,” according to the company. CZ also added that Binance’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Teng, will take over as CEO, confirming an earlier report.
Key products of the exchange:
- Recently, the development team at Binance, in collaboration with the leading electronic wallet company Trust Wallet, launched their own Binance Web3 Wallet.
- The platform also has a Binance Launchpad, which is related to platforms for conducting initial exchange offerings — essentially token offerings but through the exchange.
- For crypto enthusiasts, there is also Binance Square, which, thanks to active user participation, has created a friendly crypto community.
- Binance Card is a card that allows you to spend cryptocurrency with instant conversion to local currency.
- For those looking to expand their knowledge, there is Binance Academy, an educational division that offers many online courses.
Co-founder Ethereum Vitalik Buterin
Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin. Source: MarketWatch
Vitalik Buterin is a programmer, co-founder, and former editor of the print magazine Bitcoin Magazine, as well as an inventor of Ethereum.
The birth of Ethereum began in late 2013, and the initial idea for Ethereum was related to digital currency. However, over time, the vision changed, and by the end of January 2014, Vitalik Buterin’s team realized that creating a decentralized file storage system was relatively easy and could be implemented with just a few lines of code.
The project was announced in January 2014, and its core team includes Vitalik Buterin, Mihai Alisie, Anthony Di Iorio, Charles Hoskinson, and other participants. Buterin also introduced Ethereum on the Bitcoin conference stage in Miami.
A few months later, the team decided to conduct an initial coin offering (ICO) for ETH, the native token of the Ethereum network, to fund development. Around the same time, Buterin himself received a $100,000 Thiel Fellowship grant.
The team raised over 31,000 BTC from the sale of ETH, or about $18 million at the time. The Ethereum team established the Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Switzerland, which was tasked with overseeing the development of open-source software for Ethereum. Despite some turbulence, the Ethereum crowdfunding campaign proved to be successful.
Buterin once compared Bitcoin to a calculator, and the future blockchain to a smartphone, applying the same principle of increasing system resilience and making it more versatile for blockchain networks. Bitcoin was the world’s first cryptocurrency, while Ether is a digital currency based on the Ethereum blockchain.
Recent achievements of Vitalik Buterin:
- The concept of Soulbound tokens (SBT), was introduced by Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and his collaborators, to further the development of a decentralized society and restore property rights to our own identity through digitalization.
- Vitalik Buterin published an article discussing the implementation of Plasma, a scalability solution invented 6 years ago in the early years of ETH’s existence, which could provide many advantages.
Anthony “Pomp” Pompliano
Antony Pampliano, founder of Morgan Creek Digital. Source: maven.com
“Bitcoin is the most disciplined central bank in the world,” believes Anthony Pompliano.
One of the most prominent figures in the crypto-twitter space is Anthony Pompliano, the founder of Morgan Creek Digital, a venture capitalist also known simply as “Pomp.” In an interview with CNBC, Anthony highlighted the uniqueness of the first cryptocurrency and its “discipline.”
“The thing about Bitcoin is that it’s just very disciplined. It’s the most disciplined central bank in the world. It doesn’t care about news or geopolitics,” explained the crypto enthusiast.
According to Pompliano, the decentralized nature of digital gold would ensure its continued adoption even in the face of government restrictions. Among the key factors driving Bitcoin’s growth, the co-founder of Morgan Creek Digital pointed to aggressive fiat printing and low interest rates. He believes that the current economic situation also contributes to a renewed interest in the asset.
Pompliano’s main idea is that Bitcoin is an independent and sovereign currency with the potential to transform traditional financial institutions.
He is convinced that the decentralized nature of Bitcoin and its unrestricted accessibility can challenge the dominance of central banks and traditional financial intermediaries. While acknowledging the regulatory challenges that Bitcoin faces, Pompliano believes that innovation will ultimately prevail and that Bitcoin will play a significant role in the future of finance.
Pompliano’s Contribution:
- Anthony Pompliano is an influential voice in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space, primarily thanks to his podcast, “The Pomp Podcast,” where he engages with some of the most respected names in the business and finance industry.
- Pompliano has utilized social media, especially Twitter, to share his views and ideas. His online presence has played a pivotal role in shaping discussions within the crypto community and beyond.
I (We) — Satoshi Nakamoto
Satoshi Nakamoto. Source: bitcoin.pl
The anonymous creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, gave the world its first cryptocurrency and then disappeared without a trace. December 13 marks exactly 14 years since he last visited the bitcointalk.org forum.
Nakamoto was active on the forum from 2008 to 2010. In 2010, Satoshi worked with other programmers to modify and improve the Bitcoin protocol.
He actively engaged with the community. However, at the end of 2010, he suddenly handed over the keys and codes to Gavin Andresen and transferred the domains to community members.
Satoshi’s profile on the P2P Foundation website. Source: Medium
The last time the creator of Bitcoin addressed the community was on April 23, 2011. When asked if he planned to rejoin the group of developers, Satoshi replied, “I’ve moved on to other things. It’s in good hands with Gavin and everyone”.
At various times, there have been several high-profile revelations about the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto — it could have been American entrepreneur Dorian Nakamoto, cryptographer Nick Szabo, businessman and litigation enthusiast Craig Wright and even Elon Musk, except for Musk, all of them (except Musk) denied the gathered evidence.
Elon Musk, on the other hand, has shown through his words and actions that he is more fond of the meme token DOGE than Bitcoin, so he was also removed from the list of possible creators and developers of Bitcoin.
The Impact and Contribution of Satoshi Nakamoto:
- Satoshi’s contribution to the world of finance and technology is undeniable, as Bitcoin and the blockchain protocol he created have formed the foundation for the development of an entire industry and have brought about significant changes in the understanding of decentralization and digital currencies.
- Nakamoto owns approximately 1.1 million BTC or about 5% of the total Bitcoin supply. Hypothetically, the simultaneous sale of 1.1 million bitcoins by Satoshi Nakamoto in the market could crash the price to a record low level. However, finding a buyer for such a large amount would be quite challenging. If Satoshi were to appear and start selling his coins, it would trigger panic and hurt the development of the entire industry.
Volodymyr Nosov, WhiteBIT Success: FC Barcelona, FACEIT, United24, and more
WhiteBIT CEO, Volodymyr Nosov. Source: yenicaggazetesi.com
The cryptocurrency exchange WhiteBIT has come a long way in its five years of existence, starting as a small startup from Ukraine, and evolving into one of the largest European cryptocurrency exchanges.
“For the past five years, our commitment to practical innovation has demonstrated that advanced technologies should be an integral part of everyday life for everyone, not just the technological elite. We adhere to a fundamental principle — to view the implementation of any project primarily through the eyes of future users, ensuring the best possible outcome. As for future plans, our approach is straightforward: enhance existing products, tailor them to user preferences, and create new revolutionary projects and services following the same principle. The upcoming half-decade will bring forth numerous updates and innovations from us,” commented Volodymyr Nosov, the founder and CEO of WhiteBIT.
The keys to its rapid success are the principles upon which the company is built, namely: honesty, transparency, openness, and as a result, user trust in the exchange. Volodymyr Nosov, the founder and CEO of WhiteBIT, discussed this in an interview with Estrella Digital.
Thanks to the relentless work, of Volodymyr Nosov, and the exchange’s team, the startup has grown to an international level today. The company also has numerous partnerships, including partnerships with the Ukrainian national football team, FC Barcelona, FC Trabzonspor, and FACEIT. Furthermore, WhiteBIT has introduced the development project of the United24 fundraising platform.
President of FC Barcelona Joan Laporta and WhiteBIT CEO Volodymyr Nosov
“I want WhiteBIT to eventually take a leading position in the global market. The processes within the company are structured in a way that future generations can continue my life’s work. It’s a special system of succession that, among other things, should align with our values,” Volodymyr said in one of his interview.
Volodymyr believes that blockchain represents new opportunities, and Ukraine has the potential to demonstrate the broad benefits of blockchain technology in various sectors, both in business and the public sector.
Like many innovators in the cryptocurrency industry, he’s confident that blockchain will become a tool to help companies weather global crises.
“Cryptocurrencies are entirely decentralized: they can be transferred instantly and anonymously, without the need for a bank’s intervention, without fees or borders. Cryptocurrencies are often referred to as digital gold because this asset can be stored for a long time. Cryptocurrencies can also be seen as a hedge against inflation. Their supply is limited, unlike fiat currencies, the supply of which can increase indefinitely through central banks,” stated Volodymyr Nosov in the interview.
According to the expert, cryptocurrencies can be used not only for building an investment portfolio but also for everyday purchases. This involves creating new income opportunities and attracting loyal customers.
Products within the WhiteBIT ecosystem include:
- WhiteBIT Codes: Instant and free transfers between exchange wallets.
- Whitepay: A cryptocurrency processing platform with various functions, including currency exchange, cryptocurrency donations, POS terminals, invoice issuance, and crypto acquiring.
- WhiteSwap (AAM DEX): A secure and convenient decentralized exchange operating on the Ethereum and Tron blockchains.
- Trading tournaments and activities that allow users to add new cryptocurrencies to their collections and earn rewards.
Bitcoin’s guardian angel: Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong’s quest for trust
Coinbase CEO, Brian Armstrong
Thanks to the cryptocurrency boom, Armstrong was able to create the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, according to Forbes.
The exchange he created became a cryptocurrency unicorn in August 2017. In 2018, Brian launched his first charitable project, GiveCrypto.org.
Brian is confident that cryptocurrencies will replace the dollar as a reserve currency within 10–15 years. Based on this belief, his charitable organization provides financial aid to the poor in cryptocurrency.
Brian’s passion for entrepreneurship began in childhood. He recalled how he was brought to the school principal’s office for selling candies brought from home on the playground. In his later school years, he became interested in programming. He also started making good money in school by developing websites for small businesses in his hometown. To avoid distractions, he arranged with a neighbor and worked out of his garage.
Brian, like Pompliano, has long recognized the value of Bitcoin. He managed to buy a Bitcoin worth $1,000 when one Bitcoin was priced at $9. After a while, the price fell to $2, but Armstrong still believed in the future of digital money. Cryptocurrency prices remain volatile and unpredictable and affect Coinbase significantly (when prices fall, cryptocurrency transactions freeze, and the exchange does not earn commissions). However, former employees have described Armstrong as a stress-resistant guy whose mood rarely changes depending on the ups and downs.
The Impact of Brian Armstrong:
- In a recent conversation on Twitter, Brian Armstrong, the CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, and Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, discussed the potential and future of Bitcoin and its second-layer solution, the Lightning Network.
- Brian Armstrong’s Twitter posts are dedicated not only to profiting from cryptocurrencies but also to creating the next wave of innovations that can redefine the economic structure of society.
Conclusion
In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency, there are luminaries whose names resonate strongly. However, it’s essential to recognize the multitude of significant figures who have made enduring contributions to the blockchain and digital asset space, collectively shaping the industry into what it is today.
As we look to the future, it’s clear that these pioneers and innovators will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. Their unwavering dedication to blockchain’s potential for positive change highlights the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the diverse voices that have collectively shaped the crypto landscape.
Deniz Tutku
Deniz Tutku is a digital journalist with a background in copywriting. A longtime cryptocurrency enthusiast, she has been following the industry closely for many years. Having moved on from her early career, Deniz now writes extensively about various events and developments in the cryptocurrency world, providing her audience with in-depth and informed views on the field.