Top Cryptocurrency Founders and Their Estimated Net Worths (2024)

The cryptocurrency world is home to some of the wealthiest innovators. Here’s an overview of prominent crypto founders and their estimated net worths as of 2024:

Changpeng Zhao (CZ) – Binance

Nationality: Chinese-Canadian
Net Worth: $33 billion

CZ is among the richest in the crypto industry, with his wealth primarily tied to Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume worldwide.


Brian Armstrong – Coinbase

Nationality: American
Net Worth: $11.2 billion

Armstrong’s fortune comes from his significant ownership stake in Coinbase, a leading cryptocurrency exchange that went public in 2021 with a landmark IPO.


Chris Larsen – Ripple

Nationality: American
Net Worth: $2.9 billion

Larsen’s wealth is attributed to his substantial stake in Ripple, the company behind XRP, one of the top cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.


Jed McCaleb

Nationality: American
Net Worth: $2.4 billion

McCaleb, a co-founder of Ripple and Stellar, as well as a former owner of Mt. Gox, accumulated his wealth through significant investments in cryptocurrencies, particularly XRP.


Michael Saylor – MicroStrategy

Nationality: American
Net Worth: $2.9 billion

Saylor’s wealth largely stems from his and MicroStrategy’s extensive Bitcoin holdings, making him a prominent advocate for cryptocurrency adoption.


Fred Ehrsam – Coinbase & Paradigm

Nationality: American
Net Worth: $1.8 billion

Ehrsam co-founded Coinbase and later established Paradigm, a crypto-focused investment firm, cementing his status as a key figure in the digital asset space.


Tim Draper

Nationality: American
Net Worth: $2.5 billion

Draper is renowned for his early investments in Bitcoin and blockchain projects, which have significantly boosted his fortune over the years.