Author: Daniel Ramirez-Escudero, CoinTelegraph; Translated by: 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, once seen as a fringe asset, is now being embraced by major financial institutions.
Women have played a central role in this transformation, leading startups, crafting policies, creating educational content, writing research reports, and more, helping to drive mainstream adoption of cryptocurrency.
Given its roots in traditionally male-dominated tech and finance sectors, cryptocurrency has long been a male-dominated industry. However, this novel field represents a fresh and innovative evolution of these sectors. Cryptocurrency now attracts more women, providing a unique opportunity to address gender imbalance in tech 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 the lead and even surpassing men in certain areas.
On July 29, a report from cryptocurrency hedge fund Pantera Capital indicated that women's earnings in the industry have begun to surpass 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 moving in a positive direction, marking a trend of progress in this relatively new field.'
In the cryptocurrency sector, women's earnings surpass men's. Source: Pantera
While the gender wage gap in the cryptocurrency industry may have reversed, women's representation in senior positions remains insufficient, highlighting the ongoing glass ceiling in the industry.
The gender wage gap in the cryptocurrency sector has reversed. Source: Pantera
Nevertheless, women have seized the opportunity to jump 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 cryptocurrency 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 background as Wyoming's state treasurer has made her a leading advocate for innovation and regulatory clarity in the U.S. Senate.
Lummis has been a strong critic of the current anti-cryptocurrency regulatory approach, particularly the SEC's enforcement-driven stance. 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, under the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rather than the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
On July 27, 2024, she introduced the 2024 Bitcoin Bill 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 them for at least 20 years. She hopes to see Bitcoin adopted as a reserve asset to hedge against currency devaluation. Lummis stated:
'We have money now, but we will no longer hold it in dollars and assets designed to depreciate at least 2% each year. We will hold it as an appreciating asset.'
After the 2024 federal elections, with the Republican Party controlling both the House and Senate, she doubled down on her promise to pass the bill.
Source: Senator Cynthia Lummis
Lummis even suggested that the U.S. could exchange its gold reserves for cryptocurrency instead of waiting to buy 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 for the crypto community.
Adam Back, co-founder and CEO of Blockstream and inventor of Hashcash, predicts that Bitcoin's valuation could exceed $1 million if implemented.
Source: Adam Back
Basel Ismail, CEO of 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 plan for Suriname is not just to make Bitcoin legal tender—she aims to dissolve the central bank, reduce taxes, privatize public services, issue national Bitcoin bonds, and implement extensive deregulation.
In 2023, she collaborated with Bitcoin accelerator Jan3 CEO Samson Mow to play a crucial role in El Salvador's Bitcoin transformation. She nearly achieved the goal of making Bitcoin legal tender in Suriname, but she stated that corruption undermined her efforts, prompting her to seek change through politics.
In October 2024, she announced her candidacy for the May 2025 elections, promising to adopt the Bitcoin standard in Suriname within a year if she wins.
From left: Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Maya Parbhoe, and Ben van Hult.
While many politicians have only recently embraced cryptocurrency, Parbhoe has been involved with Bitcoin for the past decade and firmly believes in the values of Satoshi Nakamoto.
In 2014, her curiosity led her to Bitcoin, marking the beginning of a lifelong career, as she shared:
'I fell completely down the rabbit hole and decided to dedicate my life to it. If there is a reason to die on this hill, it is Bitcoin.'
Parbhoe's vision and efforts to eradicate corruption have garnered support from many in the Bitcoin community. However, only time will tell if the momentum she is building is sufficient to gain power and reshape the country's future.
Perianne Boring: Tireless Bitcoin lobbyist
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump made several promises that, if fulfilled, could lead to overwhelming support for cryptocurrency in the country. 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.
The crypto voting bloc has made its voice heard, and we now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the U.S. the global capital of cryptocurrency.
—Perianne (@PerianneDC), November 13, 2024
In 2018, (Forbes) named Boring one of the '50 Most Powerful Women in Tech' in the U.S., representing her strong 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 a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and her political experience and knowledge of Bitcoin have made her suited for her current role.
She is a staunch defender of clear crypto policies and has criticized the SEC, as many in the crypto industry view it as 'enforcement regulation.' She believes that the CFTC should regulate cryptocurrencies because 'cryptocurrencies are commodities.'
According to Fox Business, her proactive attitude may have landed her on the shortlist of candidates for CFTC chair, and if nominated and confirmed, she could develop crypto-friendly regulations.
She could become a key figure in cryptocurrency regulation, especially if the Financial Innovation and Technology Act of the 21st Century (FIT21) is enacted. FIT21 would clarify the roles of the CFTC and SEC, determining that most digital assets that fail the SEC's securities 'Howey test' would fall under the jurisdiction of the CFTC, particularly in the spot market.
Natalie Brunell: Educating the public about cryptocurrency
Natalie Brunell is a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency field, known for her role as a Bitcoin advocate and educator.
Brunell hosts Coin Stories, a very popular Bitcoin-centered podcast where she interviews key figures in Bitcoin and economics. Her work helps connect complex financial concepts with personal stories, making Bitcoin accessible to a broader audience.
Brunell's career began in traditional media, where she worked as an investigative journalist and television reporter for over a decade. Witnessing her family's financial struggles during the 2008 financial crisis led her to Bitcoin, which prompted her to question the systemic issues within the traditional financial system.
Since then, her show has featured 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 full-time Bitcoin advocate underscores her commitment to reshaping public understanding of money and technology.
Lyn Alden: Bitcoin Researcher
Investor and stock analyst Lyn Alden has become a well-known figure in macroeconomic analysis and investment strategy. She actively participates in cryptocurrency thought leadership, providing her insights and understanding of the crypto market.
Alden excels at simplifying complex analyses 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 as measured by the M2 money supply, which includes cash, checking deposits, and other classes of monetary assets.
Research shows that Bitcoin aligns with global liquidity trends about 83% of the time, a higher proportion than other major asset classes like gold and stocks.
This perspective highlights the potential for Bitcoin to benefit from favorable liquidity conditions while acknowledging its volatility and dependence on broader macroeconomic changes.
Margot Paez: Combating environmental misinformation
One of the most common criticisms of cryptocurrency is that crypto mining has a negative environmental impact that is too destructive. However, this narrative has begun 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 data from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), Bitcoin consumes about 185 terawatt-hours per year as of December 17, more than Egypt and Poland combined.
Comparison 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, the flexibility of Bitcoin mining and its location-agnostic nature may accelerate the global transition to renewable energy while helping to balance energy grids.
She has played an active role in data-supported advocacy efforts that help improve understanding of Bitcoin mining.
Ophelia Snyder: Cryptocurrency ETF Expert
The rise in Bitcoin prices in 2024 is closely tied to the approval of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). BlackRock's BTC ETF has become the most successful ETF it has ever launched, flipping its gold ETF through consecutive record capital inflows.
Ophelia Snyder, co-founder and president of 21.co, is a sponsor and associate advisor of ARK Invest's spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs and has been a key figure on the front lines of setting up multiple ETFs.
On November 1, 2018, she launched the world's first cryptocurrency index exchange-traded product in Switzerland through her subsidiary 21.co, 21Shares.
One of Snyder's major achievements is collaborating with Cathie Wood's ARK Invest to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. Her efforts have played a significant role in legitimizing crypto assets for traditional investors by providing simple and secure market access.
