In 2017 alone, the market capitalization of the currency increased from $17.74 billion to a whopping $512 billion by the end of the year. It is safe to say that cryptocurrency is surely on the rise. And as it is increasing in popularity, digital currencies are also becoming somewhat of a household name.

Previously, the masses thought that it was a risky investment. Now, when we buy cars today, some of us don’t mind using the AutoBlock for conducting the transaction. Here, rather than paying in physical currency, the transaction occurs through a security token called the AutoCoin. So, a lot has changed.

Are you interested in keeping up with the world of cryptocurrency? If so, you must make a point to learn about the names of the people that matter in the crypto world. There are quite a few influential personalities in the world of cryptocurrency.

Here are the top ten people you need to know about.

There has been quite a lot of speculation around this personality. A lot of people think that he is the mastermind behind it all. As you might know, Bitcoin (the first digital currency) was created by “Satoshi Nakamoto” who to this day has remained anonymous. While Szabo has denied that he is Nakamoto, this hasn’t stopped people from wondering. Who is Nick Szabo? He is a computer scientist by profession. He conducted thorough research about digital contracts, which are now famously known in the crypto world as smart contracts. His influence and contribution to the crypto world have been massive. Evidence of this is the fact that the team behind Ethereum named a value token’s sub unit after him.

In the world of Bitcoin, Barry Silbert is quite popular. He is one of the many angel investors that operate on the platform. What makes him different? For starters, he is extremely active on sight. Apart from this, he also founded the company called “Digital Currency Group.” This company both starts and invests in companies that work within the Bitcoin world. His investment portfolio includes companies like Coinbase, BitPay, and TradeBlock.

Anyone who is familiar with the crypto world has bound to have heard about Coinbase. Coinbase is one of the biggest platforms available for purchasing Bitcoins. Brian Armstrong happens to be the CEO of this platform. The platform has over 13 million users and has accumulated over $217 million in funding. Since it has been predicted that Bitcoin will witness a further increase in prices, the chances are that the platform will continue to grow. This means Armstrong will continue to have power over the cryptocurrency market.

In any market, first movers always have an advantage. This is exactly why Roger Ver has an influence over the cryptocurrency market. He was the first person ever to invest in startups about Bitcoin. So, you could say he oversaw the emergence and growth of the first Bitcoin startups. This is why many refer to him as “Bitcoin Jesus.” His store, Bitcoinstore.com, is one of the first platforms of its kind to accept payments in Bitcoin.

After Bitcoin, the one currency that people know most about is Ethereum. Vitalik Buterin was the creator of this currency. While some of you may only know it as a digital currency, it is also a platform. The reason why Ethereum stands out among other digital currencies is that it was the first platform to attract a huge amount of investment. It was also adopted by the big guys, including Microsoft and JP Morgan.

Juthica Chou is the co-founder of LedgerX. LedgerX is among the first platforms of purchasing bitcoin that is regulated. The majority of the customers of this platform include bitcoin businesses and banks. It is mainly used by them for hedging purposes. Many believe that LedgerX is the platform which has the power to attract traditional investors to the world of bitcoin.

When it comes to delivering a literary contribution to the world of cryptocurrency, Alex Tapscott is the name that comes in everyone’s minds. Tapscott himself is a businessman and author. He has penned various books. One of his most famous books is the “Blockchain Revolution.” He also writes articles for publications like HBR, TIME and Quartz. Most of his articles revolve around the impact of blockchain and cryptocurrency. Anyone who wishes to enter the industry would find his writings to be very insightful.

E-retailers were hesitant initially to accept Bitcoin as a mode of payment. However, this was not the case with Patrick Bryne. He is the CEO of Overstock.com, which is a very big name in the e-retail world. His was the first e-retail company to accept payments in Bitcoins. He has been vocal about his support for Bitcoin technology ever since.

Newbies will find Erik Voorhees to be a source of great guidance in the world of cryptocurrency. He operates the company called Shapeshift. Shapeshift allows its users to transform one cryptocurrency to another. Since he frequently shares his knowledge about the industry on social media, beginners can learn a lot from him.

Bitcoin is the mainstream cryptocurrency that everyone knows about. However, there is also an alternative currency that is very popular. It is called Litecoin and was developed by Charlie Lee in 2011. According to market capitalization, this currency ranks on number 5. The fact that Charlie Lee is known to be the creator of the currency is a source of comfort for the masses. It reduces the risk associated with the currency.

Conclusion

These are just some of the many influential people in the world of cryptocurrency. Time will tell how many more names will be added to the list in the future.