Bitcoin prices are often closely linked to the opinions of influencers. While millions of people discuss Bitcoin on social media, there are a number of key figures all crypto enthusiasts should keep a keen ear out for:
Buterin first discovered Bitcoin at 17. Within a few years, he received a grant from the Thiel Fellowship (founded by Peter Thiel) and dropped out of university to create on Ethereum. What began as a passion project is now the second most valuable cryptocurrency, landing him on the Forbes 40 under 40 list. Buterin is considered so important in the crypto space, that a 4chan hoax claiming he had died caused Ethereum prices to plummet.
Charlie Lee is the creator of LiteCoin, the third oldest surviving cryptocurrency, and former director of engineering at CoinBase (one of the most popular exchanges.) Earlier on in his career, Lee was employed by Google and worked on Youtube and Google Play Games. Some have speculated that Lee could have been involved with the creation of Bitcoin, as he was a very early adopter and clearly has the necessary technical expertise. But Lee denies this. Either way, with hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers, hes an important influencer to follow.
Erik Voorhees is a Bitcoin entrepreneur who considers the blockchain to be one of humanitys most important inventions. Vorhees is CEO of ShapeShift (a leading digital currency exchange.) He frequently writes and speaks about Bitcoin, and its potential for the future.
Vinny Lingham is an entrepreneur and investor. He co-founded and ran several cryptocurrency related companies, including MultiCoin Capital and Civic Technologies. Lingham also invests in and advises Bitcoin startups.
Don Tapscott is an expert on the effects of technology on business and society. He has given
an influential TED talkon the blockchain and authored over 15 books. In 2016, Tapscott published
Blockchain Revolution, which the Financial Times described as
a thorough and influential guide. He also co-founded the Blockchain Research Institute, which examines the potential applications and future of the blockchain. Having studied the impact of technology for over three decades, Tapscott is perfectly positioned to analyse and explain cryptocurrencies.
Andreas Antonopoulos - @aantonop
Entrepreneur and technologist
Andreas Antonopoulosis an esteemed authority on Bitcoin. Antonopoulos has authored two books on the topic -
Mastering Bitcoinand
The Internet of Money.His work aims to make the topic accessible to anyone through writing, podcasting and talks, and to explain the
whyof Bitcoin as well as the
how. Antonopoulos is the founder of (or consultant to) multiple Bitcoin companies and open source projects. His involvement in an array of cryptocurrency related endeavors makes his opinions worth paying attention to.
Billionaire head of JP Morgan Jamie Dimon is a divisive figure with strong opinions on Bitcoin. While Dimon has described Bitcoin as a fraud, his actions speak louder than his words. JP Morgan is currently developing a blockchain payment system designed to reduce transaction times. As a major figure in the financial world, hes worth the scrutiny of crypto enthusiasts.
Roger Ver aka 'Bitcoin Jesus' has been a prominent supporter of bitcoin adoption and is a well-known investor and vocal authority on cryptocurrencies. Ver was an early adopter and invests in cryptocurrency startups. He is the CEO of Bitcoin.com and is a keen advocate for Bitcoin Cash. Ver quite often shares his opinions on a range of Bitcoin websites and forums.
Entrepreneurs and professional rowers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss used the proceeds from a lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg to purchase large quantities of Bitcoin in 2013. Their holdings are now worth over $1 billion.
Bettina Warburg is a prominent thought leader, who heads blockchain research and development at Animal Ventures. Warburg is joining forces with governments and Fortune 500 companies to help make cryptocurrencies mainstream. She gave one of the first
TED talkson the blockchain in 2016.
