Surveying the landscape as the most widely read publication covering cryptocurrency and blockchain, Cointelegraph’s editors had the ambitious idea to put together a list of the most influential people in this hectic, hype-filled, world-changing, weird industry that we all cover. After weeks of heated debate — will politicians be at the forefront of the crypto space in 2020? should we have more developers or business leaders on the list? which Winklevoss twin is more influential? — we’re thrilled to present you with the first ever Cointelegraph Top 100, our list of the most influential people in crypto and blockchain.

This is a decidedly community-oriented list and ranking. It’s not focused on who brought crypto to the mainstream, but rather who has been active in building this space that we love. Our guiding questions have been:

Who have been the most important people to the crypto and blockchain community in 2019?

Who do we expect will be the most important to the development of this industry in 2020?

It’s also entirely subjective, decided upon by Cointelegraph’s editors. Someone’s inclusion or ranking also doesn’t necessarily mean they are our favorite people, that we endorse them, or that we agree with everything they say. But we acknowledge their importance to the community and to this future that we are all building together.

Follow along and debate the list on social media over the course of this week with the hashtag #CTtop100. Stay updated as the list continues to be unveiled. Share on your own social media pages if we happen to discuss someone important to your world of crypto. Don’t be afraid to give us feedback on how YOU think the list should go.