Welcome to CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2025.
This year, Bitcoin broke an all-time high, hitting $126,000 just a few months ago, Ethereum saw not one but two major network upgrades come into effect, Solana stormed Wall Street, and through that, all retail and institutional traders gained more and more access to the crypto markets through wrapped products like exchange-traded funds.
Continuing the crypto industry optimism of the end of 2024, 2025 saw the resurgence of the US as a dominant crypto market for retail and institutional players, the consolidation of cryptocurrencies as an asset class for the mainstream investor, and even the growth of artificial intelligence in the crypto spaces.
That’s not to say the news has been consistently positive. Markets have fallen in recent months and the US and broader global economy is showing signs of strain. The crypto industry has received vivid and unfortunate reminders in the form of wrench attacks and hijackings that personal security cannot be taken for granted, and malicious actors are on track to break records for the amount of cryptocurrency they have been able to steal through hacks and other compromises.
All this to say: it’s been a busy year.
For 2025, CoinDesk ranked the 50 individuals and groups we recognize for their contributions to the crypto industry this year (good and bad) across 10 different topics, with one of our 10 most influential individuals tied to four groups or people in their topic orbit. Monday’s topic – recognizing US President Donald Trump and the enormous effect he has had on the cryptocurrency industry’s discourse this year – kicks off our list presentation, and you can check back every day for the next two weeks to read the most recent entries on our list.
Outside of policymaking, our topics look at the role of money in politics, the growing attention on how capital flows in general, the behind-the-scenes work to keep decentralized networks running, and the darker side of the industry, among others.
Finally, as a reminder, CoinDesk’s Most Influential is not a ranking. This is not us honoring individuals or groups. Rather, it is our way of recognizing the role these individuals and groups have played in the industry. As we’ve done in previous years, this year our selection ranges from builders, policymakers and thought leaders driving the industry forward to bad actors who arguably held it back. That’s still influence, even if we prefer to forget their roles.
How We Selected CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2025
As with each year’s list, CoinDesk focuses on people who have demonstrated, if not too much, influence in the crypto industry. Whether bringing esoteric products to the mainstream, drawing attention to how people disclose their properties, or simply keeping the industry’s technology moving, the list recognizes people who had a clear effect.
Each year, the final selection is based on a long list of crowdsourced sources, involving CoinDesk journalists and the general public. Over the months-long process, this list was whittled down to the 50 names you’ll read about over the next two weeks.
As in previous years, we have made a deliberate effort not to include people who could be on the list every year. Hester Pierce of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), for example, remains a highly influential figure for the industry, guiding the agency’s approach to cryptocurrency regulation from a position of power that has only increased under the leadership of crypto-friendly Chairman Paul Atkins. And there is no doubt that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has enormous influence in the cryptocurrency industry, particularly in the US.
However, some figures have such a significant impact that they require repetition on our most influential list. This year, we recognize Trump again, given the changes he has brought about since he was elected president in 2024, and some other names may seem familiar too. And like every year, we appreciate your comments on our selections.
