Cryptocurrencies have finally become mainstream after almost an entire decade of hiding in the shadows. The previous two bull runs have convinced people that digital currencies are not a thing of the far future, but of the present. Numerous companies and merchants accept crypto payments, and on the market side, those with zero investing experience are more than eager to join crypto.
For most, the crypto space is huge and alien. Traversing the decentralized landscape without getting yourself hurt feels nearly impossible. But that’s where crypto influencers come into place – the online blockchain educators for the masses.
Crypto influencers are digital celebrities who have a massive online following on platforms like Twitter where they discuss crypto markets. An influencer shares his ideas on where the market is headed, analyzes the latest news pieces, or reviews crypto projects. He might also share technical analysis, advertise projects, or offer access to paid trading groups.
The average crypto influencer is a promoter and marketing expert. Because the majority of them exploit their user base, the word influencer has a negative connotation in the crypto world. Nevertheless, you still have a good chunk of people who you can follow in order to gain valuable insight into the world’s most decentralized financial markets.
Crypto influencers, believe it or not, are there to serve you. They analyze everything that’s going on in the market and convert the information into an easily digestible and bite-sized Twitter thread. Those who can’t afford to spend hours trying to understand the latest Solana or Nomad hack might turn towards Twitter experts.
Crypto influencers can be founders, traders, promoters, and even developers. Each group helps you understand a certain part of the crypto space. And the more time you spend reading their thoughts, the clearer the market becomes.
I’d say that the usefulness of crypto influencers diminishes as time goes on. At the very beginning you entirely depend on what these people have to say. But as you become more experienced and knowledgeable, you no longer depend on others to understand what’s going on with the crypto market.
And then there’s also the drama. Even if you have zero interest in learning from influencers, you at least have the entertainment factor at play. If you’re looking both to make money and have a laugh, Crypto Twitter is the perfect place.
I have compiled a list of the top 15 crypto influencers you should follow in 2022. This list contains developers, crypto experts, traders, and founders. I absolutely recommend following these people if you’re looking to learn something new about crypto.
Andreas Antonopoulos is a Bitcoin advocate and blockchain educator who is popular for his role in raising global awareness of all things crypto. He is the author of Mastering Bitcoin, a guide that introduces newcomers to decentralized technology.
Andreas regularly shares his thoughts about where the future of digital assets is headed. He also publishes guides, articles, books, and other educational content perfect for beginners. Apart from Twitter, you can also find his content on Youtube.
Vitalik Buterin is the co-founder of Ethereum, crypto’s most important smart contract blockchain network. Buterin is an extremely intelligent developer who has massively contributed to Ethereum’s growth. Although eccentric, Buterin is full of awe inspiring knowledge regarding decentralized technology.
Jesse Powell is the CEO of Kraken, one of the oldest cryptocurrency exchanges. He’s an early crypto pioneer who stepped in after Mt. Gox collapsed by introducing Kraken to crypto traders. The exchange served as a reputable place for trading, investing, and moving crypto via fiat off-ramps.
Powell is a major crypto advocate who regularly fights against censorship and tight regulations. If you’re the type to oppose crypto oversight by regulators, Jesse Powell is the perfect person to follow.
Changpeng Zhao is yet another exchange founder worth following. He leads Binance, the number one cryptocurrency exchange with the highest daily trading volume. Zhao actively works on spreading crypto adoption wherever possible. He is famous for actively communicating with his community and taking their feedback into consideration.
Brian Armstrong is founder of Coinbase, a very important crypto exchange based in the U.S. Armstrong has been part of the blockchain industry ever since 2013, when he raised $150,000 from an accelerator program and founded Coinbase. He realized the importance of cross-border payments early on and even built a wallet that could store and transfer Bitcoin.
Michael Saylor is one of the most beloved people on Crypto Twitter. His zealous stance towards cryptocurrencies has granted him the status of a cult leader who is dead set on bringing crypto adoption to the masses. Saylor is the CEO of Microstrategy, a software development company. Saylor became popular shortly after starting an institutional investment spree, which began after he added Bitcoin to Microstrategy’s balance sheet.
Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) is the founder of FTX, yet another highly used cryptocurrency exchange. SBF works with US regulators and politicians to lobby for the crypto space and bring more relaxed government oversight. He regularly shares his thoughts concerning the crypto market and posts long Twitter threads.
Sergey Nazarov is the creator of Chainlink, a decentralized oracle protocol that connects on-chain and off-chain systems. Nazarov has played an important role in making DeFi functional. His Twitter is full of blog posts, podcast episodes, and YouTube videos in which he promotes the idea of connecting legacy financial systems with blockchain networks through oracles.
Cobie is a pseudonymous Crypto Twitter user who brings a lot to the table for anyone interested in learning more about crypto. He co-hosts UpOnly, a podcast dedicated to analyzing all the latest and important crypto events. And more important than anything else, he is one of the funniest people on Crypto Twitter.
Inversebrah is a hallmark of Crypto Twitter culture. He is an anonymous user who retweets important and funny interactions within the community. Whenever users spot something interesting, they reply and mention Inversebrah so that he can retweet it for everyone else to see. Think of Inversebrah as a CT aggregator and news curator.
Tier10k is another news aggregator account that shares the most exciting crypto news the moment they’re published. You should follow this account if you want to be the first to find out about important crypto events and announcements that have the potential to shift the market into any direction. He is basically crypto's very own version of the Bloomberg Terminal.
Is any crypto influencer list complete without Anthony Pompliano? Pompliano is a famous crypto celebrity who has more than 1.6 million Twitter followers. He hosts a podcast in which he discusses important crypto news with other influencers. He also regularly publishes newsletters that deal with market analysis.
Justin Sun is the creator of Tron, a smart contract network that peaked in 2017. He is still active in the Crypto community and regularly posts on Twitter. Sun mostly posts updates about his crypto projects, but every now and then, he interacts with other CT members and creates some of the most funniest posts on Twitter.
Roger Ver is one of the earliest Bitcoin adopters. He became a crypto promoter back in 2011, participating and investing in various crypto projects. Ver also went on to lead Bitcoin Cash, a Bitcoin hard fork. Ver mostly likes to argue about which Bitcoin is the real peer-to-peer cash network, but sometimes he can also provide valued insight into the crypto space.
Charlie Lee is the creator of Litecoin, a Bitcoin fork optimized for small and fast transactions. He is one of the most popular crypto figures. Charlie doesn’t post on Twitter that much anymore, but when he does, except nothing but gold. It’s also worth mentioning that he no longer actively participates in Litecoin’s development.
Like most things in crypto, influencers are a hit and miss. You’ll either meet a smart individual who has a lot to give, or you’ll meet a malicious person who’s out there simply for their own gain. Keep in mind that most people who do nothing but advertise and promote projects typically fall into the other group. If you want to stay safe, I recommend following someone who offers more than word salads and pointless posts.
The Shrimpy Academy has a page dedicated to the most important crypto pioneers. You can find the list here. And if you want to learn more about the crypto community, I recommend reading the following articles:
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