Welcome to the most influential 2025 edition of CoinDesk.
This year, Bitcoin broke an all-time high, hitting $126,000 just a few months ago, Ethereum saw not one but two major network upgrades take effect, Solana broke into Wall Street, and with that, all retail and institutional traders gained ever-greater access to the crypto markets through wrapped products like exchange-traded funds.
Continuing the optimism of late 2024 in the crypto industry, 2025 saw the resurgence of the United States as the dominant crypto market for retail and institutional players, the consolidation of cryptocurrencies as an asset class for the traditional investor, and even the growth of artificial intelligence in the crypto spaces.
That’s not to say the news has always been positive. Markets have fallen in recent months and the U.S. and global economies as a whole are showing signs of strain. The crypto industry has received stark and unfortunate reminders in the form of keystrokes and kidnappings that personal security cannot be taken for granted, and that bad actors are poised to break records for the amount of crypto they have been able to steal through hacks and other compromises.
All that to say: it’s been a busy year.
For 2025, CoinDesk has ranked the 50 individuals and groups we’re recognizing for their contributions to the crypto industry this year – good and bad – into 10 different themes, with one of our 10 most influential individuals tied to four groups or people in their thematic orbit. Monday’s theme – recognizing US President Donald Trump and the outsized effect he’s had on the crypto industry’s discourse this year – kicks off our overview of the list, and you can come back every day for the next two weeks to read the most recent entries on our list.
Outside of policymaking, our themes include the role of money in politics, the growing attention to how capital flows in general, the behind-the-scenes work to keep decentralized networks running, and the darker side of the industry.
Finally, as a reminder, CoinDesk’s most influential is not a ranking. This is not about honoring individuals or groups. Rather, it’s our way of recognizing the role these people and groups have played in the industry. As we have in previous years, this year our selections range from the manufacturers, policymakers and thought leaders who are moving the industry forward to the bad actors who have arguably set it back. This remains influence, even if we prefer to forget their roles.
How We Selected CoinDesk’s Most Influential Company of 2025
As with each year’s list, CoinDesk focuses on individuals who have demonstrated – without putting too fine a point on it – their influence in the crypto industry. Whether by bringing esoteric products into the mainstream, calling attention to how people disclose their assets, or simply evolving industry technology, the list recognizes people who have made a clear impact.
Each year, the final selection is drawn from a long crowdsourced list, in which CoinDesk journalists and the general public all participated. The months-long process saw this list whittled down to the 50 names you’ll read about over the next two weeks.
As in previous years, we have made a deliberate effort not to include people who may be on the list every year. Hester Pierce of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), for example, continues to be a highly influential figure for the industry, guiding the agency’s approach to crypto regulation from a position of power that has only grown under the leadership of crypto-friendly Chairman Paul Atkins. And there is no doubt that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has considerable influence on the crypto industry, especially in the United States.
However, some numbers are so impactful that they require a repeat appearance on our most influential list. This year we’re recognizing Trump again, because of the changes he’s made since he was elected president in 2024, and some other names may sound familiar too. And like every year, we appreciate your comments on our selections.
