Author: Daniel Ramirez-Escudero, CoinTelegraph; Translation: Bai Shui, Golden Finance
Driven by the growing institutional adoption and bullish sentiment in the U.S., the cryptocurrency market is firmly in a bull cycle. Bitcoin was once seen as a fringe asset, but it is now embraced by major financial institutions.
Women have played a central role in this transformation, leading startups, shaping policies, creating educational content, writing research reports, and more, helping to drive the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrency.
Given its roots in traditionally male-dominated technology and finance sectors, cryptocurrency has long been a male-dominated industry. However, the novel industry represents a fresh and innovative evolution of these sectors. Cryptocurrency now attracts more women, providing a unique opportunity to address gender imbalances in technology and finance.
Cryptocurrency has long been criticized for its 'bro culture,' but as the industry matures, it has become more balanced, with women increasingly taking leading roles and even surpassing men in some areas.
On July 29, a report from the cryptocurrency hedge fund Pantera Capital indicated that women's earnings in the industry have begun to exceed those of men, clearly an exception to trends in other sectors.
The report states: 'The relatively fair wages in the cryptocurrency sector indicate that gender equality is progressing in a more significant direction, marking a trend of advancement in this relatively new field.'
In the cryptocurrency field, women's earnings exceed those of men. Source: Pantera
While the gender wage gap in the crypto industry may have reversed, women's representation in senior positions remains inadequate, highlighting the ongoing glass ceiling in the industry.
The gender wage gap in the cryptocurrency field has reversed. Source: Pantera
Nevertheless, women have seized the opportunity to dive into the cryptocurrency gold rush, and their efforts have borne fruit, making significant contributions across various disciplines and achieving success in the crypto industry.
Senator Cynthia Lummis: A legislator supporting Bitcoin
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming has become a key figure in the crypto industry, primarily due to her advocacy for clear and balanced crypto regulations.
Lummis invested in Bitcoin in 2013. Her deep understanding of digital assets and her background as Wyoming's financial supervisor have made her a leading advocate for innovation and regulatory clarity in the U.S. Senate.
Lummis has strongly criticized the current anti-crypto regulatory approach, particularly the enforcement-driven stance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This has helped her gain the trust of many in the crypto community.
Her advocacy includes pushing for Bitcoin and Ethereum to be classified as commodities governed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rather than the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
On July 27, 2024, she introduced the Bitcoin Bill of 2024 at the Bitcoin Nashville Conference. The bill would require the U.S. government to establish a Bitcoin strategic reserve, purchasing about 5% of the total supply of 21 million Bitcoins and holding it for at least 20 years. She hopes the U.S. will treat Bitcoin as a reserve asset to hedge against currency devaluation. Lummis said:
"We now have money, but we will no longer hold it in dollars and assets intended to depreciate by at least 2% annually. We will hold it as an asset that will appreciate in value."
After the 2024 federal elections, with the Republican Party controlling both houses, she doubled down on her commitment to passing the bill.
Source: Senator Cynthia Lummis
Lummis even suggested that the U.S. could exchange its gold reserves for cryptocurrency instead of waiting to purchase Bitcoin.
(The Bitcoin Bill) is regarded by many as one of the most optimistic factors in the current Bitcoin cycle and remains a source of excitement within the crypto community.
Adam Back, co-founder and CEO of Blockstream and inventor of Hashcash, predicts that if implemented, Bitcoin's valuation could exceed $1 million.
Source: Adam Back
Basel Ismail, CEO of the investment analysis platform Blockcircle, pointed out that if the bill passes in the U.S., it will 'send a signal to most G20 countries' to follow suit, triggering a domino effect.
Maya Parbhoe: Creating a New Bitcoin Nation
Suriname presidential candidate Maya Parbhoe has an ambitious vision: to create a Bitcoin nation deeply integrated with cryptocurrency.
Her plans for Suriname go beyond making Bitcoin legal tender—she aims to dismantle the central bank, reduce taxes, privatize public services, issue national Bitcoin bonds, and implement broad deregulation.
In 2023, she played a crucial role in El Salvador's Bitcoin transformation in partnership with Jan3 CEO Samson Mow. She nearly achieved the goal of making Bitcoin the legal tender in Suriname, but she stated that corruption undermined her efforts, prompting her to seek change through politics.
On October 2024, she announced her candidacy for the May 2025 election and promised to adopt a Bitcoin standard in Suriname within a year if elected.
From left: Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Maya Parbhoe, and Ben van Hul.
While many politicians have only recently embraced cryptocurrency, Parbhoe has been involved with Bitcoin for the past decade and firmly believes in Satoshi's values.
In 2014, her curiosity led her to Bitcoin, where she found a lifelong career, as she shared:
"I fell completely down the rabbit hole and decided to dedicate the rest of my life to it. If there's one reason to die on this hill, it's Bitcoin."
Parbhoe's vision and efforts to eliminate corruption have garnered support from many in the Bitcoin community. However, only time will tell if the momentum she is building is enough to take power and reshape the country's future.
Perianne Boring: Tireless Bitcoin Advocate
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump made several promises that could overwhelmingly support cryptocurrency in this country if fulfilled. However, U.S. regulators and politicians are not always so friendly towards cryptocurrency.
Perianne Boring, founder and CEO of the blockchain advocacy organization the Digital Chamber, has long tirelessly advocated for crypto-friendly policies on the front lines.
Crypto voter groups have made their voices heard, and we now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the U.S. the global cryptocurrency capital.
—Perianne (@PerianneDC), November 13, 2024
In 2018, Forbes named Boring one of the '50 Most Powerful Women in Technology' in the United States, representing her significant influence in the field.
Boring is an early adopter who learned about Bitcoin while working on Capitol Hill in 2011. She served as an economic analyst for members of the House Financial Services Committee, and her political experience and understanding of Bitcoin have enabled her to hold her current position.
She is a staunch advocate for clear crypto policies and has criticized the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as many in the crypto industry view it as 'enforcement-driven regulation.' She believes that the CFTC should regulate cryptocurrency since 'cryptocurrency is a commodity.'
According to Fox Business, her positive attitude may have put her on the shortlist for the CFTC chair candidate, and if nominated and confirmed, she has the potential to formulate crypto-friendly regulations.
She could become a key figure in the realm of crypto regulation, especially if the Financial Innovation and Technology Act (FIT21) is enacted. FIT21 would clarify the roles of the CFTC and SEC, determining that most digital assets failing the SEC's securities 'Howey Test' would fall under CFTC jurisdiction, particularly in the spot market.
Natalie Brunell: Educating the Public on Crypto
Natalie Brunell is a well-known figure in the cryptocurrency space, recognized for her role as a Bitcoin advocate and educator.
Brunell hosts Coin Stories, a very popular Bitcoin-centric podcast where she interviews key figures in the fields of Bitcoin and economics. Her work helps connect complex financial concepts with personal stories, making Bitcoin accessible to a broad audience.
Brunell's career began in traditional media, where she worked as an investigative journalist and television reporter for over a decade. After witnessing her family's financial struggles during the 2008 financial crisis, she turned to Bitcoin, which led her to question the systemic issues within the traditional financial system.
Since then, her show has invited guests related to cryptocurrency, such as Michael Saylor, Peter Schiff, PlanB, Anthony Pompliano, Willy Woo, Raoul Pal, Dan Held, Peter McCormack, and Jimmy Song.
Her journey from traditional media to a full-time Bitcoin advocate highlights her commitment to reshaping public understanding of currency and technology.
Lyn Alden: Bitcoin Researcher
Investor and stock analyst Lyn Alden has become a prominent figure in macroeconomic analysis and investment strategy. She actively engages in cryptocurrency thought leadership, providing her insights and understanding of the cryptocurrency market.
Alden excels at making complex analyses simple for the average person. In 2024, she commissioned a research report titled 'Bitcoin: A Global Liquidity Barometer,' exploring the strong correlation between Bitcoin price movements and global liquidity, particularly measuring cash, checking deposits, and other monetary assets in the M2 money supply.
Research shows that Bitcoin aligns with global liquidity trends about 83% of the time, a higher percentage than other major asset classes like gold and stocks.
This perspective highlights Bitcoin's potential to benefit from favorable liquidity conditions while acknowledging its volatility and dependence on broader macroeconomic changes.
Margot Paez: Fighting Environmental Misinformation
One of the most common criticisms of cryptocurrency is that crypto mining has a severely detrimental impact on the environment. However, this narrative is beginning to shift.
Bitcoin uses proof of work (PoW) as its consensus mechanism, requiring significant computing power to generate new blocks on the blockchain. According to the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), as of December 17, Bitcoin consumes approximately 185 terawatt-hours annually, more than Egypt and Poland combined.
Comparative chart of Bitcoin energy consumption rankings by country. Source: CCAF
Research conducted by Margot Paez, a researcher at the Bitcoin Policy Institute and environmental sustainability consultant, challenges the notion that Bitcoin is harmful to the environment. She argues that, contrary to intuition, Bitcoin's mining flexibility and location-agnostic nature may accelerate the global transition to renewable energy while helping to balance the energy grid.
She has played an active role in data-driven advocacy efforts that help better understand Bitcoin mining.
Ophelia Snyder: Crypto ETF Expert
The rise in Bitcoin prices in 2024 is closely tied to the approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). BlackRock's BTC ETF has become the most successful ETF ever launched, flipping its gold ETF with record capital inflows.
Ophelia Snyder, co-founder and president of 21.co, has been a key player in establishing multiple ETFs, serving as a sponsor and associate advisor for ARK Invest's spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
On November 1, 2018, she launched the world's first crypto index exchange-traded product in Switzerland through the 21.co subsidiary 21Shares.
One of Snyder's significant achievements was partnering with Cathie Wood's ARK Invest to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. Her efforts played a crucial role in legitimizing crypto assets for traditional investors by providing simple and secure market access.
