Forbes has released its first ever list of cryptocurrency’s richest individuals, the publication announced today. Although slowing now, the technology’s upward trend has created multiple billion-dollar fortunes with unheard of haste, stated Forbes. The list includes the top 20 earners in cryptocurrencies and features Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, the Winklevoss twins and heads of exchanges like Coinbase and Binance.
The publication emphasizes that figures are estimates and liable to change on an almost daily (sometimes hourly) basis, given the volatile nature of the assets. But it states that each entrants’ wealth has been verified, with some providing detailed proof to aid in the investigation. Figures such as the illusive Satoshi Nakamoto, purported to be one of the wealthiest of all the crypto billionaires, aren’t included as their identities weren’t verifiable.
“Our first-ever Crypto Rich list provides a snapshot of a pivotal moment, part of the transparency needed to pull crypto away from its provenance as an unknown currency,” said Randall Lane, Chief Content Officer, Forbes Media, in a statement.
Although the figures haven’t remained at the heady heights of December, which saw Chris Larsen’s fortune exceed USD 20 billion, considerable fortunes have been made, says Forbes. Larsen is worth an estimated USD 8 billion; Ethereum co-founder, Joseph Lubin, is worth between USD 1 billion and USD 5 billion and Binance CEO, Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao, between USD 1 billion and USD 2 billion.
Forbes estimates that there are now nearly 1,500 crypto-assets in existence, valued at an aggregate of USD 550 billion, up 31 times since the beginning of 2017.
When compiling Forbes’ (necessarily inexact) list of the wealthiest people in crypto, the values used were as of Friday, January 19, 2018.The top 10 are included below and you can see the rest of the list here
| Name | Title | Crypto Net Worth |
| Chris Larsen | Cofounder, Ripple | $7.5 billion – $8.billion |
| Joseph Lubin | Cofounder, Ethereum and Founder, Consensys | $1 billion – $5 billion |
| Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao | CEO, Binance | $1.1 billion – $2 billion |
| Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss | Cofounders, Winklevoss Capital | $900 million – $1.1 billion each |
| Matthew Mellon | Individual investor | $900 million – $1 billion |
| Brian Armstrong | CEO, Coinbase | $900 million – $1 billion |
| Matthew Roszak | Cofounder, BloQ and Founder, Tally Capital | $900 million – $1 billion |
| Anthony Di Iorio | Cofounder, Ethereum and Founder, Jaxx and Decentral | $750 million – $1 billion |
| Brock Pierce | Chairman, Bitcoin Foundation and Advisor, Block.One | $700 million – $1 billion |
| Michael Novogratz | CEO, Galaxy Digital | $700 million – $1 billion |
