Since Feb. 8, Cointelegraph has been publishing its annual Top 100 list of the most notable crypto players for 2023 in batches of 10. The list compiles the most daring heroes and dastardly villains of 2022 who are expected to continue impacting the crypto space in 2023, and it has so far included names such as Keith Grossman, MoonPay’s president of enterprise, at No. 89; hacking cohort Lazarus Group as a villain at No. 79; and Adam Back, Blockstream’s co-founder and CEO, at No. 72 — among others.
DISCOVER COINTELEGRAPH’S TOP 100 IN CRYPTO AND BLOCKCHAIN 2023
Rankings 41–50 went public on Feb. 15, sporting another batch of the industry’s leading drivers. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez took position No. 47, while the twin co-founders of Gemini — Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss — came in at No. 45. Custodia Bank CEO Caitlin Long holds the No. 41 position.
On Feb. 16, profiles 31–40 were released. At No. 40, Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek rounds out this batch of top crypto industry players. Crypto.com had an eventful year, including touting a Shopify partnership, although i also struggled during the bear market, moving to cut its employee count. Cointelegraph’s 2022 Top 100 list ranked Marszalek at No. 12, notably higher than his No. 40 position for 2023.
Lightning Labs co-founder and CEO Elizabeth Stark bookends this batch of profiles at No. 31. Lightning Labs oversees the Bitcoin scaling solution Lightning Network, which had a solid year in terms of growth and usage. In contrast to Marszalek, Stark has moved up in rank, rising from No. 61 on 2022’s Top 100. Other names in this round include Offchain Labs co-founder and CEO Steven Goldfeder, Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov, and others.
Cointelegraph’s annual Top 100 list features both heroes and villains, given that both move the sector in one way or another. The countdown continues, with more profiles to be released in the coming days, leading up to the big reveal of the top-ranked player. Who will the top 30 include?