Important takeouts:
Crypto Wealth in 2025 is led by the creators of Exchange Founders and Stablecoin, including CZ, Devasini, and Armstrong.
Not all crypto billionaires are CEOs. Buterin shows that protocol builders rival corporate giants.
A new wave of billionaires has risen from three native models, such as Stake.com, including culture, entertainment and the web.
Crypto leadership shifts quickly. Most of the top names today weren’t on the radar 10 years ago.
The crypto market had a full revival as of mid-2025. Total capitalization surged to $3.8 trillion (over 130% year-on-year), leading to a surge in new wealth across the industry. At the heart of it are people pulling levers. They are the top 10 crypto CEOs who shape this cycle. This list ranks the wealthiest people in Crypto today based on public data from Onchain trackers, investor reports and other reliable sources.
Did you know? Winklevoss Twins converted a $11 million Facebook settlement to Bitcoin (BTC) in 2012, becoming the first ever Bitcoin billionaire.
1. ChangpengZhao Net Worws2025 (Binance): Approximately $62.9 billion
Changpeng “CZ” Zhao continues to be the uncontroversial heavyweight of the Crypto billionaire class in 2025. Despite resigning as Binance CEO in late 2023 and serving a brief sentence following a historic $4.3 billion regulatory settlement, CZ holds around 90% of the world’s largest Chrypto exchange.
According to Bloomberg and Datowlett, his estimated net worth is at $62.9 billion, putting him firmly above the 2025-ranked code wealth rankings.
His public presence has declined, but the impact of his portfolio remains a major and large. In particular, BNB continues to strengthen its broad scope of decentralized finance (DEFI) and exchange activities.
2. GIANCARLODEVASINI (Tether/Bitfinex): Approximately $22.4 billion
As the Chief Financial Officer of Bitfinex and the founding force behind Tether, Giancarlo Devasini is a key figure behind Tether’s USDT (USDT), the most traded digital asset on the planet. With an estimated 47% stake in Tether, Devasini’s net worth rose to $22.4 billion, making him one of the top crypto billionaires of 2025.
He appears to prefer to keep things inconspicuous and is rarely seen in public places. Although Devasini is operated from Switzerland, it wields a major behind-the-scenes impact on Stablecoin flows and market liquidity. He is part of a new kind of digital asset mogul. It is the heart of the piping of the crypto market.
When you’re tracking the crypto business big names, few people are more shaking than Devasini daily volumes.
3. Brian Armstrong (Coinbase): Approximately $9.6 billion to $12.8 billion
Brian Armstrong continues to helm Coinbase and remains one of the most visible leaders in the crypto industry. He holds about 14% to 15% of the company, and has net worth between $9.6 billion and $12.8 billion, depending on the valuation of the stock.
Over the years, Armstrong has been a fixture for both high-tech and finance circles, playing an important role in bridging the Web2 structure to Web3 ideals.
4. Michael Saylor (Strategy, formerly Micro Strategy): Approximately $10.1 billion
Michael Saylor, now executive chairman of brand strategy, remains the biggest Bitcoin Bull on the planet, and he backed it up with incredible numbers. His total net worth is estimated at $10.1 billion, as he personally holds around 17,700 btc and owns a large strategy.
As of mid-2025, the strategy managed over 628,000 BTC (worth approximately $72 billion). Last year, the company’s stocks surged nearly 700%, reflecting BTC’s explosive run.
Saylor is often considered the philosopher’s king among the CEOs of code.
5. Chris Larsen (Ripple Labs): Approximately $7 billion to $8 billion
Ripple’s Chris Larsen returned relatively quietly and appeared on the list of the top 10 Crypto CEOs in 2025 by net worth. After a sharp DIP in 2024, the price recovery of XRP (XRP) and the expansion into real-world asset tokenization of Ripple has increased its net worth of an estimated $7 billion.
Larsen holds approximately 2.6 billion XRP tokens and a significant stake in Ripple Labs, the company he co-founded and still served as a chair. He remains an influential voice for crypto regulations and cross-border payments, even after resigning as Ripple CEO in 2016.
He continues to represent the old security guards in 2025 – still strong, still relevant, climbing the Crypto Wealth Ladder.
6. Jed McCaleb (star, formerly Riple/mt.gox): Approximately $2.9 billion
Few names in the history of code have as much technical legacy as Jed McCaleb. McCaleb is one of the co-founders of Mount Gox, Ripple and now Stellar’s Chief Technology Officer, and has shaped the infrastructure of digital assets since its early days.
His fortune (estimated at $2.9 billion as of April 2025) comes primarily from early XRP allocations and star equity.
He sold most of his XRP under a court-mandated contract, but the long-term effects of McCaleb remain. Beyond blockchain, he is now splitting time between stellar protocol development and his aerospace startup.
He is the prime example of the founder of a blockchain company that moves beyond finance, changing the meaning of becoming a Crypto Tech CEO in 2025.
7. MikeNovogratz (Galaxy Digital): Approximately $2.7 billion
The former hedge fund manager has become a digital asset mogul, and Mike Novogratz continues to be one of 2025’s most outspoken crypto influencers. As founder and CEO of Galaxy Digital, he has over 17,000 BTC and remains a key player in the facility’s Crypto Finance.
Despite market fluctuations, his net worth is held at $2.7 billion, according to recent filings and estimates for 2025. Novograts’ fortunes are deeply tied to Galaxy’s fairness and crypto preparation, making it a familiar name on the serious Bitcoin billionaires list for 2025.
Did you know? Crypto executive Mike Novogratz once boasted that he was the only person in the world to have a Bitcoin tattoo and Luna Tattoo (nod to risk-taking in a volatile market).
8. BarrySilbert (Digital Currency Group): Approximately $3 billion to $3.2 billion
Barry Silbert, founder of Digital Currency Group (DCG), home to Grayscale, Genesis and Coindesk, is the heavyweight division of venture Crypto Finance. His estimated $3 billion to $3.2 billion fortunes face headwinds following Genesis’ bankruptcy and legal scrutiny, but he remains one of the tycoons of the original crypto business.
Silvert’s early bets on Bitcoin, Ethereum and dozens of startups solidified his role in the institutional growth of the ecosystem. Even in the post-Contacion world, DCG’s reach makes him one of the world’s most resulting crypto industry leaders.
9. BijanTehrani (Stake.com): Approximately $2.8 billion
Bijan Tehrani, co-founder of Stake.com, represents a different kind of crypto billionaires. Its estimated net worth is $2.8 billion (Forbes, May 2025), riding the wave of crypto-enabled gambling and streaming partnerships.
The explosive growth of stakes, backed by influencer deals and well-known sponsorships, has placed Tehranni on crypto billionaires under the age of 40.
10. VitalikButerin (Ethereum Foundation): Approximately $1.025 billion
Though not the CEO of the title, Vitalik Buterin remains the pillar of Ethereum’s intellectual core and modern cryptography. As of July 2025, his known wallet holds around 278,000 ether (ETH), exceeding $1.025 billion, according to Nansen and 99 Bitcoin.
Buterin’s wealth may be modest compared to Exchange Mogles and Stablecoin Tycoons, but his impact is unparalleled. He continues to guide Ethereum’s evolution, and more recently, with Fusaka upgrades and the expansion of the Layer-2 ecosystem.
Did you know? Despite a net worth of just millions of dollars, David Chaum, who proposed an almost complete blockchain design in a 1982 Berkeley paper, is considered the “the godfather of cryptocurrency.”
Crypto Industry Leaders and Bitcoin Billionaires List in 2025
As of mid-2025, Crypto’s richest figures remain familiar names from CZ, Devasini and Armstrong. Exchange Founders, Stablecoin creators and platform leaders dominate the top ranks.
However, the list also shows multiple paths to wealth. While Buterin illustrates a protocol-driven fate, Tehrani emphasizes how culture and entertainment drive new billionaires.
Last note: 10 years ago, most of these names were unknown. By the next cycle, today’s rising founders could become tomorrow’s crypto billionaires.
This article does not include investment advice or recommendations. All investment and trading movements include risk and readers must do their own research when making decisions.
