Best Crypto Commentators to Follow (and Avoid)
Well-informed and rational influencers to get you ahead of the game.
You’re probably wondering why I am promoting other crypto channels, pages and accounts here.
This post might seem a bit out of left field, but there’s a method to my madness here.
I have benefitted immensely from their evaluation of various crypto, macroeconomic and social trends since I started crypto investing in 2017.
In return, I would like to acknowledge some of the most valuable people and resources out there.
I am fed up with the scams and mudslinging in this space, much to the delight of people who want to see crypto assets banished from this Earth. In return, it’s time to put in a good word where it’s due.
Without further ado, let’s begin.
YouTube
Coin Bureau
Guy and his Coin Bureau team have produced excellent educational content since 2018. What stands out about their videos is that they’re:
— very informative;
— articulate, i.e., Guy is well-spoken;
— interesting, with the use of occasional humour and visual effects, without overdoing them;
— not sensationalist, like many others in this space;
— covers a broad range of topics in the crypto sphere, including general blockchain-tech info and related news;
— well-researched, organised, and a suitable length (about 15–20 minutes for many of them), usually with timestamps.
As a result, it’s no surprise that this is the top-rated crypto YouTube channel worldwide, with an unassailable lead versus the second spot.
In recent times, Guy has also provided videos solely discussing economic matters and social trends, particularly amongst Western democracies; these are also worth checking out.
Altcoin Daily
The Arnold Brothers, Austin and Aaron, are two of the best crypto commentators, consistently offering daily content for years. I appreciate their direct and concise approach; no waffle, straight to the point, and all relevant content within well-edited videos.
The Modern Investor
My first, and still my most popular crypto analyst out there, with his quirky ad-hoc style of reporting. TMI has consistently posted (almost daily, but at least six times per week as a minimum) for years.
Whilst not everyone’s cup of tea with his ad-lib style of reporting, he is relatable, friendly, direct (no beating around the bush here), honest, and entertaining/creative by finding ways to circumvent some ridiculous demonetisation rules whilst still maintaining the integrity of his content.
Besides his main TMI channel, he covers other investment classes on Money Rules, providing easy-to-follow videos aimed at laypeople.
Alessio Rastani
For technical analysis (TA) enthusiasts and those interested in day trading, Rastani should definitely be on your list.
He primarily covers BTC and ETH (and rightfully so, considering their market dominance and future potential) and gives awareness into the stock markets. Besides his input, guests join him in some videos to give their thoughts and criticisms, so you’re not solely relying on his analysis of TA and macroeconomic trends.
Ivan on Tech
Software developer turned charismatic crypto commentator, Ivan provides detailed insight into the crypto market with his daily videos, bringing back (a revamped version of) his live Good Morning Crypto show.
Some of his earlier videos, e.g., during 2017–18, covered explainers of different crypto and blockchain-tech concepts; I particularly liked this one, titled ‘Quantum threat to Bitcoin and Ethereum’.
His energetic demeanour appeals to many people with an intermediate level of knowledge in this space, especially younger people involved in this asset class seeking a more casual reporting style than others listed here.
Lark Davis
A prolific poster on social media, Davis has been in the crypto space for over a decade, offering plenty of useful intuition and well-rounded opinions for multiple crypto assets, not to mention general economic matters that (directly or indirectly) affect digital assets.
A true crypto veteran who’s been in this space since the early days of Bitcoin, his excellent variety of short to medium-length content (many around the 10 to 12-minute mark per video) and YouTube shorts provide something for everyone.
I mostly follow him on Twitter, though he frequently produces and posts YouTube videos to keep us all in the loop.
Anthony Pompliano
Pomp, as commonly known on social media, has been actively involved in the space through his newsletter, YouTube channel and The Pomp Podcast since 2018.
Boasting over 50 million downloads on the latter platform, he has interviewed some of the biggest names in the space, including:
— Chamath Palihapitiya: Billionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist and engineer;
— Mark Cuban: Billionaire entrepreneur publicly known for his role in Shark Tank;
— Anthony Scaramucci: American financier, former Goldman Sachs investment banker and founder of the investment firm Skybridge Capital;
— Michael Saylor: Co-founder, former CEO and Executive Chairman of MicroStrategy, and (in my opinion) the most enthusiastic Bitcoin proponent I have ever seen, especially at an institutional level.
Pompliano has also had some verbal sparring contests with gold bug Peter Schiff over the years concerning Bitcoin. Despite their disagreements, they remain on good terms, with Schiff appearing on Pomp’s show here and there.
Layah Heilpern
I am most familiar with her frequent posting on Twitter over the years, covering not just crypto but helpful social commentary (generally speaking), even though she says things that can ruffle people’s feathers; then again, it’s 2023, so I expect this.
She has over 500,000 followers on the social media platform and has written a book about Bitcoin. I first came across her through various explainer videos she presented for non-custodial wallet provider Exodus.
Thinking Crypto
Tony Edwards, the man behind Thinking Crypto, has also been one to regularly post an honest evaluation of crypto and macroeconomic trends out there. Additionally, he frequently interviews crypto and financial-related personalities. Here’s a list of recent ones:
— Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
— Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse
— Founder and key spokesperson of Cardano, Charles Hoskinson
— Former hedge-fund manager and entrepreneur Raoul Pal
— US SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce (sharing her personal views FYI across multiple interviews)
Like many others listed here, he says no BS, is straight to the point and has a balanced opinion on various matters in his videos. There is also the Thinking Crypto website and newsletter, though I haven’t checked them out in a while…sorry mate).
Medium
Here are some of the most articulate and thought-provoking writers in this space that I have encountered on this platform to date:
Jayden Levitt
An experienced and knowledgeable tech, business, blockchain and crypto content writer, Levitt’s writing is some of the easiest to read out there: short paragraphs, well-structured, only uses jargon when and where applicable, plenty of relevant quotes and salient stats to ensure that you get the message fairly quickly.
A common trend across his written work is to base a headline off the key quote or general gist of what a highly-respected business, tech or financial guru is saying.
His works so far this year have analysed the insights provided by Robert Kiyosaki, Gary Vee, Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, Raoul Pal, Dave Ramsey and many others.
Scott Debovic
Always on the lookout for some altcoin gems, up-and-coming projects, emerging trends in this sector, and, of course, staking your sats, Scott is a top writer in the crypto, finance and investing space(s).
As a starting point, I recommend these two articles.
On a personal note, he has been the friendliest and most considerate writer on Medium I have interacted with to date, hence the first-name usage.
Ignacio de Gregorio
Anyone who appreciates crypto, AI, and general tech will benefit from de Gregorio’s content.
Plenty of pieces about ChatGPT in recent times (which is understandable, as a major chunk of the Internet is losing their mind over it, particularly in recent months), but crypto content is still abundant on his page.
Isaiah McCall
Whilst not a crypto commentator here (strictly speaking), McCall, a former USA Today journalist, has over 30,000 followers just on Medium and is never one to shy away from complex topics — crypto or otherwise.
Covering some of the most significant trending topics, compelling social issues, tech trends and other phenomena, he will tell you what he thinks, and does so very cleverly: generally using a casual tone yet informative, honest, articulate and incorporating profanity and humour when warranted.
Overall, his content is far from the lengthy, monotonous and bland half-hearted reporting/”analysis” that many others offer, whether in mainstream media or on this platform. He’s definitely worth following for both entertaining and informative news.
Cory Doctorow
Like McCall, he is not a crypto commentator per se as he predominantly covers other matters; I was very impressed by his piece from last week, Why They’re Still Trying to Buy Cryptography.
With over 130,000 followers on Medium and publishing a tech-related book last year, this bloke wields influence across the platform by being in the top 1–2% of writers.
Honourable mentions
These are crypto influencers, reporters and otherwise that I hear about but seldom follow, at least nowadays, relative to the people mentioned earlier.
PlanB is popular on Twitter for analysing Bitcoin’s stock-to-flow (S2F) charts and is the self-proclaimed creator of the S2F model (for Bitcoin).
Amassing over 1.8 million followers since joining Twitter in October 2017, he regularly posts about multiple technical indicators of the foundation crypto.
Besides Twitter, he is also active on YouTube and has been featured in various interviews over the years, particularly since BTC hit its all-time high of roughly $69,400 in 2021.
Oz Crypto offers excellent thoughts about XRP and Ripple, his speciality/primary focus in most videos. However, he also references Bitcoin, Ethereum and other projects and generally speaks favourably about them.
Like several others featured here, I also appreciate his no-BS delivery; he’s here to tell the truth and give valuable insights based on his research, not to be liked.
Wendy O has been making crypto content for several years and is still frequently recommended across my Twitter feed and on YouTube. She is also a writer and analyst for Coindesk.
Lea Thompson, a.k.a. Girl Gone Crypto — Based on recent uploads, Lea features alongside other female presenters in The Crypto Minute via the abovementioned channel. Besides this, she interviews people in the space and explainer videos.
See her website or check out her Twitter page for more information.
Crypto Eri — Japanese-based crypto commentator, Crypto Eri concentrates primarily on XRP, Ripple, affiliated digital assets and other matters relating to the XRP Ledger (XRPL). That said, her channel is also handy for news and thoughts about other projects in the space.
Before I forget, Lex Fridman deserves a mention with his podcasts. Unlike Pompliano, who is not specifically a crypto podcaster, he has interviewed some massive names in the space. Here is a short list of related YouTube videos and a link to his Spotify episodes.
Influencers to avoid
Sorry folks, if you were waiting for specific names, I will refrain from doing so, as they probably love the name drop/publicity that comes from being labelled a black sheep here. Hence, I refuse to give them satisfaction.
As a shortlist, it is best not to follow influencers who:
— are constantly and aggressively spruiking some peculiar, no-name coin that they insist is “going to the moon”;
— are promoting a Ponzi scheme;
— only talk about lesser-known altcoins (sub 250–300 based on market cap) and seldom reference Bitcoin, Ethereum, or some major alts.
— Consistently poor research to back up their materials; we all make mistakes from time to time, myself included;
— My pet peeve: Those who insist on attacking and tarnishing so many others in the space for their beliefs about (what are widely considered) reputable altcoins, a.k.a. maximalists.
— Put in a half-hearted attempt to make a decent video and waffle on/discuss irrelevant matters, all because they bank on their enormous subscriber base to support them.
Anyhow, you get the idea. Unfortunately, there are a lot of swindlers, charlatans and narcissistic individuals in this space who get way too much credit IMHO; then again, each to their own, whatever floats your boat.
There is one notable crypto personality with plenty of followers that I refuse to promote because I find their content and character cringy, engaging in/starting futile fights (online, not literally, like some others) and perhaps too intense for my liking.
Even if I find some of their content worthwhile, I neither want to associate with nor promote them, and most others featured here could easily replace them.
Food for thought
Why so many names? I first got involved in this industry in mid-2017, so I have seen people come and go (notably on YouTube). As a result, many names come to mind.
What stands out about the YouTube list (I started making videos well before writing crypto articles) is that these people have all stood the test of time, stuck by it all through thick and thin, and are reliable information sources.
A second reason for a reasonably long list is that you all have preferred types of media (videos/shorts, podcasts, articles, social media, etc.), so it would have been ignorant of me to ignore one category.
A quick comment about this being a male-dominated list; love it or loathe it, it is well-documented that men far outweigh women in crypto participation, even though this difference is shrinking.
Everyone is welcome to participate, and there’s a tonne of free, high-quality material readily available to educate anyone willing to learn about this asset class and technology type, particularly across the developed world.
I have included people here based on merit rather than affirmative action. Whilst this list has been partially influenced by my experience in this space over the years, it will offer you a well-rounded selection of writers and commentators that can help you get ahead of the game to help you make more savvy crypto investing decisions.
In terms of the positive comments featured here, to reiterate, I am not here to stroke anyone’s ego. Instead, I am grateful for the information and wisdom they have provided the crypto community for many years, which have helped me approach crypto investing with a much clearer mindset.
There will be names here that should have featured on this list but, for various reasons, didn’t. I thank them for their positive contribution to this space.
Despite crypto sentiment going from bullish in the opening weeks of this year to something more bearish to neutral as of late, there will always be an abundance of crypto news amongst the plethora of crypto content creators out there.
What are some of your favourite people providing helpful insight into the space? I look forward to your feedback here.
Disclaimers
— Nothing mentioned here is financial advice and I am not a financial advisor.
— The opinions and descriptions expressed within this piece are my own and might not reflect those of the individuals listed here.
— Please do your research before investing in any crypto assets, staking, NFTs and other product affiliated with this space.
— I received no incentives to feature or praise anyone mentioned here. Instead, I am acknowledging their general contribution to the space and the value that I have gained from their mixture of research and awareness.
