5 Richest People In Crypto 2022: Top 2 Is Just 30 Years Old

As the crypto market grows, so does the fortune of crypto investors, builders and issuers.

At least seven people joined the crypto billionaires’ club in 2022, according to Forbes, bringing the total number of crypto billionaires to 19.

Let us take a look at this year's top five richest crypto and blockchain billionaires.

Changpeng Zhao, the founder and CEO of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is the richest crypto billionaire.

Zhao, who once worked at McDonald's, reportedly owns at least 70% of Binance. With a net worth of $65 billion, Zhao is now No. 20 on Forbes' list of richest billionaires.

In 2021, his company reportedly facilitated about two-thirds of all trading volume handled by centralized changes, generating estimated revenue north of $16 billion.

The 44-year-old also holds a small chunk of Bitcoin and an undisclosed amount of Binance’s native token.

Trailing behind Zhao is 30-year-old Sam Bankman-Fried, the creator and CEO of FTX.

Bankman-Fried’s net worth stands at $24 billion. He is the 64th richest in the world.

Aside from FTX, Bankman-Fried also manages assets through Alameda Research, a quantitative Bitcoin trading firm launched in October 2017. He co-founded the company with his brother.

Bankman-Fried reportedly donated about $25 million or about .01% of his fortune to causes such as voter registration, global poverty mitigation and artificial intelligence safety. He plans to donate most of his wealth to charity.

Brian Armstrong, the CEO and founder of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, is the third richest crypto billionaire. The 39-year-old has a net worth of $6.4 billion.

In January, he dropped $133 million on a Bel-Air mansion — one of the city’s priciest home purchases to date.

The co-founder and chief technology officer of FTX, Gary Wang, came in at No. 4 on the list. His net worth stands at $5.9 billion, as per Forbes estimates. Wang holds a 16% stake in FTX’s global business and over $600 million worth of FTT, the native token of FTX.

Chris Larsen, the 61-year-old founder of blockchain company Ripple, is the fifth richest, with a net worth of $4.1 billion.

Larsen reportedly partnered with climate groups to launch a campaign called “Change the Code, Not the Climate” to pressure the Bitcoin community to reduce the digital asset’s heavy carbon footprint.