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Crypto Kings: The Largest Cryptocurrency Fortunes Ever Amassed
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- Satoshi Nakamoto still reigns supreme with an untouched trove of roughly 1.1 million BTC, worth well over $125 billion at today’s prices.
- Exchange founders dominate the list, with Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s Binance-linked BNB cache peaking near $73 billion, while Jed McCaleb’s early XRP haul tops $27 billion.
- There are very few newcomers on this list, underscoring how regulation, token dilution, and a maturing market have shifted wealth toward institutions rather than individual whales.
The graphic above—created by Made Visual Daily—ranks the largest crypto fortunes ever recorded. Pulling on-chain data, regulatory disclosures, and media estimates, it captures just how concentrated early-day gains remain in 2025.
The Crypto Rich List
Below is the complete dataset assembled by Made Visual Daily, showing each individual’s peak net worth and the primary asset that got them there.
| Person | Role / Affiliation | Category | Coins | Value Today* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satoshi Nakamoto | Bitcoin creator | Coin-based | 1100000 BTC | $126,940,000,000 |
| Changpeng Zhao (CZ) | Binance founder | Coin-based | 94000000 BNB | $72,615,940,000 |
| Jed McCaleb | Ripple and Stellar cofounder | Coin-based | 9000000000 XRP | $27,090,000,000 |
| Sam Bankman-Fried | FTX/Alameda founder | Equity-driven | $26,500,000,000** | |
| Ross Ulbricht | Silk Road operator | Coin-based (seized) | 144336 BTC | $16,656,374,400 |
| Chris Larsen | Ripple cofounder | Coin-based | 5190000000 XRP | $15,621,900,000 |
| Roger Ver | Early BTC investor | Coin-based (alleged) | 131000 BTC | $15,117,400,000 |
| Brian Armstrong | Coinbase cofounder/CEO | Equity-driven | $11,800,000,000** | |
| Li Xiaolai | Bitfund founder, China OG | Coin-based (claimed) | 100000 BTC | $11,540,000,000 |
| James Zhong | Silk Road hacker | Coin-based (seized) | 50676 BTC | $5,848,010,400 |
| Tyler Winklevoss | Gemini cofounder | Coin-based (est.) | 35000 BTC | $4,039,000,000 |
| Cameron Winklevoss | Gemini cofounder | Coin-based (est.) | 35000 BTC | $4,039,000,000 |
| Tim Draper | VC USMS auction winner 2014 | Coin-based (verified) | 29656 BTC | $3,422,302,400 |
| Justin Sun | TRON founder HTX advisor | Coin-based (self-disclosed) | 28614 BTC | $3,302,055,600 |
| Michael Saylor | MicroStrategy cofounder | Coin-based (self-disclosed) | 17732 BTC | $2,046,272,800 |
| Vitalik Buterin | Ethereum cofounder | Coin-based (self-disclosed) | 333520 ETH | $1,225,806,067 |
| James Howells | Early miner (lost HDD) | Coin-based (lost access) | 8000 BTC | $923,200,000 |
| Rain Lõhmus | LHV Bank founder | Coin-based (lost access) | 250000 ETH | $918,840,000 |
| Matthew Mellon | Investor XRP bull | Coin-based (implied) | 260000000 XRP | $782,600,000 |
*Coin-based entries are ranked by today’s valuation of historic peak holdings. **Peak equity net worth at time
Notably, just three people—Satoshi, CZ, and McCaleb—account for more than half of the value in this table, while equity-driven fortunes such as Sam Bankman-Fried’s short-lived FTX stake sit far below the coin-based titans.
Early Coin Hoards Still Dominate
The lion’s share of wealth stems from pure coin ownership. Satoshi’s ≈5% slice of all bitcoin has never moved since 2010, a fact that keeps markets on edge whenever dormant coins awaken.
Likewise, CZ’s estimated 94 million BNB tokens were minted before Binance became the world’s largest exchange—meaning negligible cost basis and an astronomical upside. Jed McCaleb’s XRP mountain comes from Ripple’s 2014 settlement that released billions of tokens to its co-founder over time.
Equity Bets, Tokens, and Seizures
Outside of pure coins, fortunes were built (or shattered) through exchange equity and native tokens. Brian Armstrong’s Coinbase stake once briefly eclipsed $15 billion at the 2021 IPO, while Ross Ulbricht and James Zhong entered the list only after their BTC stashes were seized by U.S. authorities.
Meanwhile, Michael Saylor’s bitcoin evangelism has turned MicroStrategy into a corporate BTC proxy, but his personal holdings still trail the Winklevoss twins and veteran VC Tim Draper.
Why There Haven’t Been New Entrants
Since 2024, no new face has joined the crypto-billionaire pantheon. Tighter know-your-customer (KYC) rules, token unlock schedules, and the rise of spot-BTC ETFs have funneled fresh capital toward regulated vehicles instead of single founders. Exchange cold-wallets, rather than individuals, now top the 2025 rich list.
For perspective, bitcoin’s market cap today rivals tech behemoths like Amazon. The implication? Future “crypto kings” may look less like singular visionaries and more like boards of directors or sovereign wealth funds.
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Explore related content such as Ranked: The 10 Biggest Digital Heists to see how fortunes can disappear just as quickly as they form.