Bitcoin would be nothing without its community of smart and engaging people.

In fact, ZapChain is the best place to talk about bitcoin with experts.

From developers to regulators to investors, each of the following people are playing an important role in building a future that includes everyday usage of cryptocurrencies.

These are the top five bitcoin people the ZapChain community wants to meet.

1. Jed McCaleb

He was involved in starting Mt. Gox, Ripple and now heads up development at the Stellar Foundation.

Jed has built things that have helped propel the cryptocurrency industry forward.

He hasn’t been afraid to take risks, and that’s what has made him such an intriguing figure in the digital currency space.

Jed builds real products that are helping improve digital currency’s infrastructure, raising awareness along the way.

“Having a great idea and vision is vital, no question…but if you can’t prove it out, it’s just vaporware.“

— William Burton, Founder of Casheer.net

2. Andreas Antonopoulos

He is a steadfast bitcoin advocate and vociferous campaigner for all things decentralized.

Andreas is now also known for writing the book on bitcoin: Mastering Bitcoin.

Andreas believes that bitcoin is an opportunity to foster change within the banking industry.

Andreas thinks bitcoin can help people “know thy banker”, as he recently said on the ZapChain Bitcoin Show.

“Andreas, he really opened my eyes to the complete potential of blockchain technology.”

— Jordan Ale, marketing professional

3. Benjamin Lawsky

Some believe Lawsky is trying to hurt digital currencies.

Yet his wit and candor have certainly helped the regulator navigate the difficult waters of cryptocurrency compliance.

Ben Lawsky realizes that digital currencies such as bitcoin possess enormous promise.

But he is also aware of his role to protect consumers from fraud. The New York Department of Financial Services’ BitLicense is trying to bring increased consumer protection to the bitcoin industry.

“I’m interested in meeting with the bankers, payments executives, and regulators who are the skeptics and influencers that matter as bitcoin transitions from novelty to mainstream innovation. We have to do a better job of evangelizing to the mainstream.”

— Ryan Selkis ‘Two Bit Idiot’, entrepreneur and VC

4. Roger Ver

An early investor, Roger is often referred to as ‘Bitcoin Jesus’.

It was a name bestowed upon him by those who, as Roger told us on the ZapChain Bitcoin Show, see him as an evangelist.

Roger believes that bitcoin offers everyone an opportunity to own a new type of money, one that is not under the control of a government.

He’s also invested in a lot of awesome bitcoin startups that include Blockchain.info and Purse.io.

“The man is legend. He has done so much for bitcoin, for a long time. Seems a bit crazy at times, but I’d love to find out first hand.”

— Stefan Richter co-founder of bitcoinprivacy.ne

5. Tim Draper

A billionaire who has been investing in technology companies for decades, Tim is going all-in on bitcoin.

Not only does he own a ton of bitcoin, he also invests in bitcoin startups.

Tim is convinced that bitcoin startups are going to disrupt the financial services industry.

That’s why he is helping to invest 300 BTC into every company that goes through his son Adam’s Boost VC startup accelerator.

“Gotta be Tim Draper for me, that BTC purchase took giant cojones! His vision for where this ride takes us must be something extraordinary.”

–Trevor Murphy Co Founder & CTO of eCoinConcepts

Is there someone we missed on this list?

Who are the people in bitcoin you want to meet the most?