Filthy rich without fiat: The world's biggest Bitcoin billionaires
Jul 23, 2025・5 min read
Even for early cryptocurrency converts, envisioning a future where Bitcoin (BTC) made someone a crypto millionaire – let alone a billionaire – seemed far-fetched. After all, if these investors truly believed their BTC would become so valuable, they probably wouldn't have been giving it away or, in one famous case, spending 10,000 coins on a couple of Papa John's pizzas.
But as Bitcoin gained traction and entered the mainstream, it didn’t just create millionaires. It minted a new class of billionaires. A growing number of the world's wealthiest individuals built their net worth by investing early in Bitcoin or now include it prominently in their portfolios.
Considering Bitcoin's long-term, parabolic growth, it's no surprise that those who held this digital asset saw their wealth skyrocket. Thanks to their resources and influence, many of these Bitcoin billionaires have also used their influence to support the broader blockchain and decentralized economy.
What’s a Bitcoin billionaire?
Bitcoin billionaires are individuals whose net worth exceeds $1 billion, with BTC playing a central role in their financial rise. While many joined the crypto space early and held onto their coins (a strategy known as “HODLing”), others launched successful crypto exchanges, wallet services, or blockchain-based platforms. Whether they invested, built, or both, Bitcoin is the cornerstone of their wealth. That puts them in the exclusive class of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) shaped by the cryptocurrency economy.
How Bitcoin created billionaires
Similar to traditional assets like stocks, Bitcoin created billionaires because its value appreciated dramatically over time. Despite frequent volatility and controversy, Bitcoin's long-term price performance is among the most impressive for any asset in the 21st century.
When BTC was a niche technology in 2009, anyone with internet access could have bought these coins for less than a penny. As Bitcoin steadily gained attention, it broke major price barriers, reaching $1,000 in 2013, $10,000 in 2017, and $100,000 in 2024. Those who held through the volatile pumps and crashes saw exponential growth in their net worth and joined the ranks of early crypto millionaires and, in some cases, crypto billionaires.
But Bitcoin didn't just make people rich through price appreciation. The wealth generated from this cryptocurrency enabled early investors the capital to start new businesses or launch entire ecosystems that further multiplied their fortunes. Some used their profits to start crypto exchanges, mining operations, or professional crypto investment funds. Entrepreneurs who built these services became crypto billionaires by facilitating the adoption of the Bitcoin network and broader blockchain economy.
Because Bitcoin is decentralized and borderless, it unlocked global liquidity, making it easier for these ventures to attract capital without relying on traditional financial institutions.
How many Bitcoin billionaires are there?
It's difficult to say exactly how many billionaires owe their net worth to BTC, but estimates suggest there are only about 3,000 billionaires globally. The financial magazine Forbes – best known for profiling the world’s wealthiest individuals – recently began tracking crypto billionaires, specifically those who made their fortunes through cryptocurrency investments or crypto ventures.
According to Forbes, at least 17 individuals became billionaires primarily through Bitcoin or crypto-related success. However, the figures in Forbes's crypto billionaire list focus on high-profile names in the crypto ecosystem and may overlook Bitcoin billionaires who choose to remain anonymous.
As more investors and entrepreneurs publicly disclose their Bitcoin holdings, it may become easier to determine just how many billionaires owe part of their wealth to BTC.
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Crypto billionaires list: Examples of Bitcoin billionaires
No one knows the names of every Bitcoin billionaire, but some are well-known public figures who proudly support BTC. In many cases, these crypto billionaires are just as famous for the crypto services they created as for their early Bitcoin investments.
Satoshi Nakamoto
Everyone in crypto knows that Satoshi Nakamoto launched Bitcoin in 2009, but there's still widespread speculation about who this genius cryptographer (or team of cryptographers) really is. Although Satoshi vanished from public view in 2011, it's believed they mined roughly 1 million BTC early on and stored it in Bitcoin addresses known as "Satoshi era wallets." If Satoshi Nakamoto is still alive and holds the private keys, they would be the wealthiest of all Bitcoin billionaires, with an estimated net worth of around $100 billion.
The Winklevoss brothers
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss may be best known for suing Mark Zuckerberg over the origins of Facebook. But the duo didn't just walk away with a $65 million settlement. Instead, they went all-in on crypto, reportedly buying 1% of all Bitcoin in circulation in 2013. Not content with just HODLing, they launched the centralized crypto exchange (CEX) Gemini in 2015. Today, the Winklevoss twins have joined the ranks of crypto billionaires, thanks to both their BTC holdings and business ventures. But they still haven’t caught up to Zuck.
Michael Saylor
While serving as CEO of the business intelligence firm MicroStrategy, Michael Saylor made headlines in 2020 by putting Bitcoin on the company's balance sheet. Since then, MicroStrategy has become the largest publicly traded holder of BTC, now with over 570,000 BTC. Although Saylor has stepped down as CEO, he remains one of Bitcoin’s most vocal advocates. His estimated net worth is around $8.7 billion, which makes him one of the most prominent crypto billionaires in the world.
Changpeng Zhao
The Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur Changpeng Zhao – better known as CZ – took a bold gamble on Bitcoin's future when he sold his Shanghai apartment to go all in on the orange coin. That bet paid off in a massive way, giving Zhao the resources to found the CEX Binance. Despite legal controversies in recent years, Zhao remains one of the most influential figures in cryptocurrency, with a net worth of more than $66 billion, which puts him at the top of most crypto billionaires lists.
Brian Armstrong
Former Airbnb engineer Brian Armstrong saw early on that Bitcoin could transform the global financial system. He wanted to build a simpler onramp into digital assets – a goal he realized in 2012 by launching Coinbase, which is now the largest crypto exchange in North America. As Bitcoin surged, so did Coinbase, eventually going public in 2021. Today, Armstrong has a reported net worth of $15.1 billion, placing him firmly among the wealthiest crypto investors.
Jed McCaleb
Programmer Jed McCaleb played a foundational role in Bitcoin's early history, most notably by founding the exchange Mt.Gox. Originally designed for trading "Magic: The Gathering” cards, this early CEX pivoted to Bitcoin and, at its peak, handled over 70% of all global BTC transactions. That made McCaleb one of the original architects of the BTC economy.
After selling Mt.Gox years before its 2014 collapse, McCaleb went on to cofound Ripple Labs (creator of the XRP cryptocurrency) and later launched Stellar, the blockchain project behind Lumens (XLM). With deep roots in the Bitcoin community and major contributions to the broader blockchain ecosystem, McCaleb now holds an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion.
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Disclaimer: This post is informational only and is not intended as tax advice. For tax advice, please consult a tax professional.