Crypto Industry Shines with 16 Billionaires on Forbes 2025 List

• According to Forbes’ 2025 World Billionaires List, 16 crypto billionaires were identified out of 3028 individuals, marking an increase from the previous year’s count.
• Justin Sun, founder of the Tron Network, becomes the newest crypto billionaire added to the Forbes list of billionaires with a net worth of 8.5 billion.

On April 1, Forbes released its highly anticipated “World’s Billionaires List,” featuring 3,028 entrepreneurs and investors, 247 more than last year, whose combined wealth has soared to $16.1 trillion, marking an increase of nearly $2 trillion from 2024.

This surge in billionaire wealth coincides with Bitcoin’s rally this year, which saw the cryptocurrency reach an all-time high of $109,000. It also aligns with the pro-crypto shift in U.S. leadership, following the 2024 election of Donald Trump as the first openly pro-crypto president.

Leading the billionaire count, the U.S. boasts a record 902 billionaires, followed by China (516, including Hong Kong) and India (205). Notably, 16 individuals on the list have amassed their fortunes through cryptocurrency.

Meet the Richest in Crypto

Top on the list is Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the 48-year-old founder of Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by daily trading volume, who remains the wealthiest figure in the crypto industry with a staggering net worth of $69 billion.

Following him on the list is Giancarlo Devasini, the chief financial officer and the largest shareholder of Tether, the world’s biggest stablecoin issuer. Devasini holds a net worth of $22.4 billion, securing the 90th spot on the overall billionaire rankings. He is joined by other key figures from Tether’s leadership team, including CEO Paolo Ardoino, who boasts a fortune of $9.5 billion, former CEO JL van der Velde, who is also a billionaire, and General Counsel Stuart Hoegner, whose wealth is estimated at $6.2 billion.

Brian Armstrong, a former Airbnb software engineer, co-founded Coinbase in 2012, transforming it into the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S. Under his leadership, Coinbase has become the 7th largest Bitcoin holder, with 9,480 BTC. Armstrong’s success has earned him a $9.2 billion fortune, while his co-founder, Fred Ehrsam, has also built significant wealth, with a net worth of $2.7 billion.

Additionally, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the twin brothers best known for their legal battle with Mark Zuckerberg over Facebook, a story famously dramatized in The Social Network, have also made their mark on the list. As co-founders of the Gemini exchange, each of them holds a fortune of $3.2 billion, further solidifying their influence in the digital asset space.

Justin Sun, the controversial founder of Tron and owner of Polo Digital Assets, is known for his bold moves, including purchasing a $6.2 million banana artwork by Maurizio Cattelan and then publicly eating it. His ventures in the crypto space have earned him a fortune of $8.5 billion. Another key figure, Chris Larsen, co-founded Ripple in 2012 to enhance cross-border bank payments. Though he stepped down as CEO in 2016, the 64-year-old still holds a net worth of $8.2 billion. Jed McCaleb, known for creating Mt. Gox, co-founding Ripple, and later launching Stellar in 2014, has accumulated $2.9 billion. 

Meanwhile, Tim Draper, a venture capitalist, made a smart investment in 2014 by purchasing 29,656 bitcoins seized by the U.S. Marshals for just $632 per coin, leading to his current net worth of $2.6 billion. Other crypto moguls include Mike Novogratz, with $3.2 billion, and Matthew Roszak, whose crypto investments have secured him a $2.2 billion fortune.

Michael Saylor, the former CEO of MicroStrategy, which he founded in 1989, has built a substantial fortune, now standing at $7.4 billion. A staunch Bitcoin advocate, Saylor personally owns 17,732 BTC, while MicroStrategy itself has become the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, amassing an impressive 528,185 BTC since 2020.