Crypto holdings have made some people billionaires, but how many? (2024)

Investing in cryptocurrencies is a risky business but for some, it's really paid off

Cryptocurrency investing is growing in popularity despite (or for some because of) its unregulated status and other risks, and for some its’s made them super rich.

The inaugural and first-of-its-kind Crypto Wealth Report from Henley & Partners, using New World Wealth data, reveals there are now 425 million crypto owners holding more than US$1.1 trillion in the digital currencies, with 88,200 people deemed crypto-millionaires.

Up a level, there are 182 centi-millionaires, holding at least $100 million in cryptos, and there are 22 crypto billionaires. Bitcoin accounts for more than half of crypto-millionaires fortunes while 72 of the centi-millionaires and six of the crypto-billionaires made their fortunes from trading Bitcoin.

However, these fortunes may be at risk, leading to these super-wealthy individuals seeking assistance to protect their digital currencies.

"We have seen a significant spike in enquiries from crypto millionaires over the past six months looking to protect themselves against any potential future bans on the trading or use of cryptocurrencies in their own countries and mitigate the risks of aggressive fiscal policies that tax digital assets at source,” said Dr. Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners.

Recently, Coinbase officially launched in Canada and said the country can become a global leader in cryptocurrencies.

Canada among ‘crypto friendly’

The firm has considered the ‘crypto friendliness’ of jurisdictions around the world, using over 750 data points, to create the Crypto Adoption Index.

Those with the highest levels of cryptocurrency and blockchain adoption and integration include:

However, these were not necessarily the best for taxation of crypto-related activities. The jurisdictions that score highest on that basis are:

  • Singapore
  • UAE
  • Hong Kong
  • Mauritius
  • Monaco
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Malaysia
  • Namibia
  • Switzerland
Crypto holdings have made some people billionaires, but how many? (2024)

FAQs

How many people became billionaires from crypto? ›

Are There Any Bitcoin Billioniares? There are 16 cryptocurrency billionaires in Forbes' ranking of billionaires. Sam Bankman-Fried is still on the list, but Forbes lists the ex-CEO of FTX with no wealth. 16 There are likely many more billionaires who own crypto, but most do not publicize their holdings.

Has crypto made people rich? ›

Over the course of its 15-year history, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has made plenty of millionaires. In fact, data from the blockchain analytics platform Glassnode shows roughly 115,000 wallet addresses with a balance of more than $1 million today.

Who is the billionaire invested in crypto? ›

For many investors, billionaire Mark Cuban may be best known as one of the investors on the popular ABC program Shark Tank. But for crypto enthusiasts, Cuban is best known as a champion of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin during the previous crypto bull market rally.

Who has earned the most from crypto? ›

Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, the founder of Binance, is among the most significant Bitcoin holders with an estimated net worth of roughly $96 billion. While the exact number of Bitcoins CZ owns remains unknown, it is reported that he sold his apartment in China to buy $1 million worth of BTC back in 2014.

Who is the richest crypto trader? ›

Changpeng Zhao (CZ) – $15 Billion Net Worth

The first position in our list of the richest crypto investors goes to Changpeng Zhao.

How much crypto to be a millionaire? ›

So, 10 times from those levels would mean that Bitcoin could go as high as $350,000, Saylor said. If this is the case, you would need to own 2.86 BTC to become a millionaire. It would cost around $190,000 today.

Who is the richest Bitcoin holder? ›

Who Are the Biggest Individual Bitcoin Billionaires?
  • Satoshi Nakamoto. Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, is more a legend than a person we can pinpoint. ...
  • Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. ...
  • Changpeng Zhao (CZ) ...
  • Tim Draper. ...
  • Michael J. ...
  • Others. ...
  • MicroStrategy. ...
  • Galaxy Digital Holdings.
Mar 22, 2024

How likely is it to get rich from crypto? ›

The truth is that you can get rich by investing in crypto, but making money in crypto is the same as making money with any type of investment. To become rich, you have to do your research, work with a financial advisor, follow specific markets and make trades at the right time.

Can crypto make you a billionaire? ›

Key Points

Current predictions call for Bitcoin to hit a price of $1 million by the year 2030. Even with Bitcoin soaring in price to $1 million, the likelihood of becoming a crypto billionaire with a very modest investment is quite small.

Which crypto billionaire lost it all? ›

Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao (commonly known as CZ) was the crypto billionaire who lost the most money following the crypto crisis of 2022, with a net worth drop amounting to 82 billion U.S. dollars.

Which crypto will boom in 2024? ›

Top 10 Cryptos in 2024
CoinMarket CapitalizationCurrent Price
Dogecoin (DOGE)$18 billion$0.12
Tron (TRX)$10 billion$0.12
Polkadot (DOT)$8.9 billion$6.24
Cosmos (ATOM)$2.7 billion$6.93
6 more rows
4 days ago

Who went to jail for Bitcoin? ›

NEW YORK (AP) — Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud on hundreds of thousands of customers that unraveled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.

Who owns 90% of Bitcoin? ›

The largest holders of Bitcoin include Satoshi Nakamoto, public companies like MicroStrategy and Tesla, institutional investment trusts such as Grayscale, individuals known as “Bitcoin whales,” and even some governments through legal seizures and strategic purchases like the United States and El Salvador.

How many crypto millionaires are there? ›

Key Takeaways. There are 88,200 crypto millionaires worldwide. 40,500 of these millionaires have amassed their fortune in Bitcoin (BTC). The number of global crypto owners reached 580 million by the end of 2023, according to Crypto.com.

Which crypto coin can make me millionaire? ›

Top 10 Cryptos to Hold Become a Millionaire in 2025💥
  • Bitcoin: Bitcoin needs no introduction as the pioneer of cryptocurrencies and the flagship digital asset. ...
  • Ethereum: ...
  • Binance Coin: ...
  • Cardano: ...
  • Solana: ...
  • XRP: ...
  • Polkadot: ...
  • Chainlink:
Mar 23, 2024

How many people actually own crypto? ›

As of 2024, we estimated global cryptocurrency ownership rates at an average of 6.8%, with over 560 million cryptocurrencies users worldwide.

How many crypto centi millionaires? ›

And for a newly emerging class of centi-millionaires — those who have made their money in the field of cryptocurrencies (our recent Crypto Wealth Report finds that there are currently 182 crypto centi-millionaires, with crypto holdings of USD 100 million or more) — it makes sense to gain access to jurisdictions with ...

Who is the crypto billionaire in trouble? ›

Penthouse to prison: Sam Bankman-Fried's journey from crypto king to convicted conman. On Thursday morning in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan will deliver his decision on how many years Sam Bankman-Fried will spend in prison. The FTX founder was convicted in November of all seven criminal counts against him ...

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