Forbes released its 2025 World's Billionaire List on April 1, featuring a record 3,028 billionaires across diverse industries. The cryptocurrency sector claimed 16 spots, with a combined net worth exceeding $164 billion and a median wealth of $6.8 billion per individual. This surge reflects the crypto industry's maturation after landmark events in 2024, including the approval of the first spot Bitcoin ETF and Bitcoin's historic break above $100,000.
Binance's Changpeng Zhao Dominates Crypto Rankings
Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder and former CEO of Binance, tops the crypto billionaire list with an estimated net worth of $63 billion. The 48-year-old entrepreneur famously tweeted in 2023, “I quit my job, sold my house, and aped into Bitcoin.” Today, his wealth comes primarily from his stake in Binance—the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume—and his personal Bitcoin holdings. Despite regulatory settlements in multiple jurisdictions, Binance continues to operate as the dominant global exchange.
Tether Mints Four Billionaires
The second-richest crypto magnate is Giancarlo Devasini, Tether's CFO, with a $22.4 billion fortune. The 60-year-old is considered the largest shareholder of the stablecoin issuer, which generated a record $13 billion in profit in 2024 with only about 100 employees. Tether's former CEO JL van der Velde, current CEO Paolo Ardoino, and General Counsel Stuart Hoegner also made the billionaire list, underscoring the immense profitability of the stablecoin business model.
Exchange Founders Dominate the List
Running a cryptocurrency exchange remains a proven path to extreme wealth. Coinbase co-founders Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam both made the list, with Armstrong’s net worth estimated at $11 billion. Gemini’s twin brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss also appear, each worth over $3 billion.
Tron founder Justin Sun is grouped with exchange-related billionaires due to his ownership of Poloniex (now Polo Digital Assets), though Forbes notes that most of his $8.5 billion fortune likely stems from the Tron blockchain project.
Investors and Entrepreneurs Expand Crypto Wealth
The list also includes Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, Stellar co-founder Jed McCaleb, venture capitalist Tim Draper, and Michael Saylor, Chairman of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy). Saylor, worth $7.4 billion, leads a company holding 528,185 BTC (~$45 billion). He personally owned 17,732 BTC in 2020 (then worth ~$1.5 billion) and has continued accumulating. Mike Novogratz and Matthew Roszak round out the roster through diversified crypto investments and ventures.
With 16 billionaires and combined wealth surpassing $164 billion, the crypto industry has irrevocably entered the mainstream, proving that digital assets are now a major wealth-creation engine.