Bitcoin has surged past $90,000, marking a historic milestone and propelling the total value of digital assets to over $3.2 trillion. This unprecedented rise has significantly boosted the wealth of crypto billionaires. According to Forbes, the 11 wealthiest individuals in the crypto world collectively increased their net worth by $38 billion in 2024 alone.

Key Players and Their Gains

Michael Saylor, MicroStrategy Chairman
Michael Saylor has emerged as the biggest winner in percentage growth. His company, MicroStrategy, holds the largest corporate stash of Bitcoin valued at $25.6 billion. Its stock skyrocketed by 464% in 2024, compared to Bitcoin’s 110% increase. Saylor’s net worth has grown by 291%, reaching $8.8 billion, largely due to his Bitcoin holdings and company shares.

Mike Novogratz, Galaxy Digital CEO
Mike Novogratz saw his wealth increase by 123%, from $3.2 billion to $5.9 billion, fueled by Galaxy Digital’s stock price surge of 150%.

Brian Armstrong, Coinbase CEO
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong experienced an 80% rise in his wealth, from $7.6 billion at the start of the year to $13.8 billion. Most of this growth occurred in the last two months, as Coinbase shares rose by 74%, adding $5.7 billion to his fortune.

Biggest Absolute Winner: Changpeng Zhao (CZ)

Despite legal troubles, Changpeng Zhao, the former CEO of Binance, experienced the highest absolute gain. His wealth jumped from $47.3 billion to $63.1 billion, an increase driven by his Binance holdings valued at $33 billion and 94 million BNB tokens. However, in percentage terms, CZ’s growth was modest at 33%.

The Exceptions: Ripple’s Co-Founders

Not all crypto billionaires reaped rewards. Ripple co-founders Chris Larsen and Jed McCaleb saw no change in their wealth. Ripple’s XRP token rose by less than 1%, while Stellar’s XLM token declined by 11%. These so-called “crypto zombies” remain in circulation but have limited utility beyond speculative trading.

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