Top 5 People Who Made the Most Money with Virtual Currency

Virtual currency, also known as cryptocurrency, is a digital form of money that can be used to buy goods and services online or traded for other currencies. There are thousands of different virtual currencies in existence, each with its own features, advantages and disadvantages. Some of the most popular ones include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple and Dogecoin.

But how do you make money with virtual currency? You can either buy and hold them, hoping that their value will increase over time, or you can trade them on platforms that allow you to exchange them for fiat money (such as pounds, dollars or euros) or other virtual currencies. You can also create or invest in products and services that use or promote virtual currency.

Some people have made a fortune by doing so, becoming virtual currency millionaires or even billionaires. But who are they and how did they do it? Here are our top picks:

1. Chris Larsen

Chris Larsen is the co-founder and former CEO of Ripple, a company that provides a global payment network using its own virtual currency, XRP. Larsen is also an angel investor and a serial entrepreneur, having founded several other fintech companies, such as E-Loan and Prosper.

According to Forbes, Larsen’s net worth was $4.8 billion in February 2023, making him the richest person in virtual currency. He owns 5.2 billion XRP and a 17% stake in Ripple. His wealth fluctuates with the price of XRP, which reached an all-time high of $3.84 in January 2018, but has since fallen to around $0.25 as of February 2023.

Larsen’s vision is to use XRP as a bridge currency for cross-border payments, enabling faster and cheaper transactions than traditional methods. He also advocates for more regulation and innovation in the virtual currency space.

2. Joseph Lubin

Joseph Lubin is the co-founder of Ethereum, a platform that allows developers to create decentralized applications using smart contracts and its own virtual currency, Ether. Lubin is also the founder and CEO of ConsenSys, a software company that builds products and services on Ethereum.

According to Forbes, Lubin’s net worth was $4 billion in February 2023, making him the second richest person in virtual currency. He owns an undisclosed amount of Ether and a large stake in ConsenSys. His wealth fluctuates with the price of Ether, which reached an all-time high of $1,432 in January 2018, but has since fallen to around $1,600 as of February 2023.

Lubin’s vision is to use Ethereum as a platform for decentralized applications that can transform various industries and sectors, such as finance, media, identity and governance. He also supports various initiatives and projects that promote social impact and innovation in the virtual currency space.

3. Changpeng Zhao

Changpeng Zhao is the founder and CEO of Binance, the world’s largest and most popular virtual currency platform by trading volume. Zhao, who immigrated to Canada at the age of 13 from China, came to virtual currency via a poker game with friends. He went all-in on cryptocurrencies thereafter and even sold his apartment for Bitcoin in 2014.

According to Forbes, Zhao’s net worth was $4 billion in February 2023, making him the third richest person in virtual currency. He owns an undisclosed amount of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies, as well as a large stake in Binance. His wealth fluctuates with the price of Bitcoin and the performance of Binance.

Zhao’s vision is to use Binance as a platform that offers various products and services to customers around the world, such as trading, staking, lending, futures and options. He also aims to make Binance more accessible and inclusive by supporting multiple languages and payment methods.

4. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are twin brothers who are best known for suing Mark Zuckerberg over the creation of Facebook. They are also among the first investors in Bitcoin, having bought $11 million worth of the virtual currency in 2013 when it was trading at around $120.

According to Forbes, the Winklevoss twins’ net worth was $3 billion each in February 2023, making them the fourth and fifth richest people in virtual currency. They own an estimated 1% of all Bitcoin in circulation, as well as other virtual currencies, such as Ethereum and Zcash. Their wealth fluctuates with the price of Bitcoin, which reached an all-time high of $64,863 in April 2021, but has since fallen to around $46,000 as of February 2023.

The Winklevoss twins’ vision is to use Bitcoin as a store of value and a hedge against inflation, as well as a catalyst for innovation and social change. They are also the founders and owners of Gemini, a regulated virtual currency platform that offers trading, custody and other services to customers in the US and abroad.

5. Song Chi-hyung

Song Chi-hyung is the founder and CEO of Dunamu, the parent company of Upbit, the leading virtual currency platform in South Korea. Song, who was a software engineer and a web developer before entering the virtual currency space, launched Upbit in 2017 with the support of Kakao, the largest internet company in South Korea.

According to Forbes, Song’s net worth was $2 billion in February 2023, making him the sixth richest person in virtual currency. He owns an undisclosed amount of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies, as well as a large stake in Dunamu. His wealth fluctuates with the price of Bitcoin and the performance of Upbit.

Song’s vision is to use Upbit as a platform that offers various products and services to customers in South Korea and beyond, such as trading, staking, lending, futures and options. He also aims to make Upbit more secure and transparent by complying with relevant laws and regulations.