10 Blockchain Pioneers Leading the Cryptocurrency Industry Forward
By Crypto Spotlight on ALTCOIN MAGAZINE
The blockchain space is constantly evolving and expanding, with new platforms and ideas being brought to life daily. The industry is fortunate to have the some of the most forward-thinking pioneers driving the development of this technology and paving the way for the future success of cryptocurrency.
It’s almost impossible to list all of the brilliant minds who have helped build the multi-billion dollar crypto economy but here are a few of the most influential people in blockchain:
1. Satoshi Nakamoto
Satoshi Nakamoto is the anonymous person or group who created Bitcoin technology, and the entire cryptocurrency economy today is based on Nakamoto’s words and original code. Nakamoto wrote the very first cryptocurrency whitepaper, launched the network, made the first transaction, and is rumored to hold over one million bitcoins.
2. Vitalik Buterin
Vitalik Buterin is the inventor and co-founder of Ethereum, a blockchain-based technology that acts as a platform for decentralized applications. Ethereum’s cryptocurrency Ether was created in 2013, when Buterin was 19 years old and now his net worth is estimated to be between $100 million to $200 million. Buterin has donated millions in Ether to non-profits and other organizations. He is also the co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine.
3. Daniel Larimer
Founder of Bitshares, Steemit and EOS, Daniel Larimer is a cryptocurrency serial entrepreneur and one of the most recognizable names in the blockchain community. Larimer regularly communicated with the creator of Bitcoin before developing his own twist on Satoshi Nakamoto’s blockchain technology in the form of BitShares. In February 2018, Forbes estimated Larimer’s net worth between $600 to $700 million.
4. Brian Armstrong
Brian Armstrong is the co-founder of Coinbase, currently one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges in the world. He is a leading advocate of Bitcoin adoption, regularly speaking at conferences, workshops, and seminars. He was also featured in the 2014 movie, “The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin”.
5. Galia Benartzi
Galia Benartzi is the co-founder of the decentralized liquidity network Bancor. Bancor launched in 2017 and has since processed more than a $1.5 billion in token conversions across 120+ Ethereum-based currencies, making it the leading decentralized platform for converting cryptocurrency tokens instantly using atomic swap technology. Benartzi and Bancor are also working on a new cross-chain protocol called BancorX, which will be the first cross-blockchain decentralised exchange to allow the conversion of Ethereum and EOS tokens.
6. Charlie Lee
After being inspired by Bitcoin, Charlie Lee created his own cryptocurrency, Litecoin, in 2011. Litecoin shares various technical similarities with Bitcoin and is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies in terms of market capitalization. Before his entry into the cryptocurrency world, Lee worked in engineering positions at Google and Guidewire Software.
7. Nick Szabo
Nick Szabo is widely acclaimed for the invention of smart contracts in 1994, which have given cryptocurrency and blockchain some immediate and vital relevance to commerce. He is also well-recognized for his research in digital currency and digital contracts, and he designed bitgold in 1998, an ecosystem for a decentralized digital currency.
8. Andreas M. Antonopoulos
Andreas Antonopoulos is a technologist, entrepreneur, and author of several successful books including “Mastering Bitcoins” and “The Internet of Money”. He has also been sought out to testify at criminal trials about crypto security and other technical elements of the crypto world. Antonopoulos is a well-known public speaker and is regularly featured at Bitcoin events around the world.
9. Winklevoss Twins
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss own one of the largest portfolios of Bitcoin in the world and are the founders of Gemini, a digital asset exchange. The brothers are also attempting to list the first-ever cryptocurrency ETF on a regulated exchange. The pair are former sportsmen and competed in the men’s pair rowing event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
10. Roger Ver
Also known by the nickname “Bitcoin Jesus”, Roger Ver was one of the first people to invest in Bitcoin startups back in 2011, such as Bitcoin.com, blockchain.com and Z.cash. He is a prominent supporter of Bitcoin Cash, a hard fork of Bitcoin developed with the aim to fix issues like high fees and long transaction times. Ver is a regular speaker at cryptocurrency events worldwide.
Who are your top blockchain pioneers? Let us know in the comments section!
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