President Joe Biden raised the hopes of the U.S. crypto industry by signing an executive order that directed federal entities to better regulate crypto. That’s why Carole House, a former White House adviser and one of the order’s chief authors, is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
The Bitcoiner Who Stood Up to Toxicity
Nic Carter, a commentator and venture capitalist, has taken a stand against toxic Bitcoin maximalism. That’s why he is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
The ‘Good Cop and Bad Cop’ of US Crypto Regulations
The ongoing tug-of-war between the top two federal regulatory agencies keeps the crypto industry on its toes. That’s why Gary Gensler and Rostin Behnam share a spot on CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
The Bullied Takes the Bully to Court
David beat Goliath in an Oslo courtroom in September, establishing a legal precedent for the freedom to say a self-proclaimed inventor of Bitcoin is not actually the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. That’s why Magnus Granath (aka Hodlonaut) and Craig Wright share a spot on CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022 list.
The ‘Crocodile of Wall Street’ and Her Husband Face Trial
Words fail to describe the infamous crypto couple who allegedly laundered $4.5 billion. He’s behind bars and she’s put her raunchy rap videos on hold, but Hollywood is calling. That’s why Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein share a spot on CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
The Everyman of Crypto Twitter
The host of “Up Only” podcast has tracked the scams and issues with crypto in real time, even taking down an inside trader at Coinbase. That’s why Jordan Fish aka Cobie is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
The Force Behind a 1% Tax That Crushed Indian Crypto Trading
All signs indicate India’s powerful finance minister disdains cryptocurrencies, and now she is setting the G-20 agenda for how the world’s economic powers will regulate it. That’s why Nirmala Sitharaman is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
He Who Should Not Have an Impact on Crypto
Crypto aspires to function without monetary oversight, but this year the U.S. Federal Reserve’s chair proved how far from reality this goal is at a time of high interest rates. That’s why, once again, Jerome Powell is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
BlackRock CEO’s Crypto About-Face
The actions by the head of the $10 trillion asset manager say to the world that crypto is ready for mainstream investment. That’s why Larry Fink is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
The Senate’s Biggest Crypto Regulations Cheerleaders
The U.S. Congress’ upper chamber has introduced a bipartisan, comprehensive crypto-responsibility bill, with another stablecoin regulations bill on its way. That’s why senators Cynthia Lummis and Kirsten Gillibrand share a spot on CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
Reality Sticks a Pin in His Hot-Air Dreams
Taking lessons from Napster, Helium Systems envisions a peer-to-peer network powered by the blockchain. Its market cap rose to $2.5 billion on hopes and promise, but has now fallen. That’s why CEO Amir Haleem is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
The Punk Fighting for an Open Metaverse
A pseudonymous NFT collector thinks if the metaverse is inevitable we must do what we can to avoid making it a cyberpunkian hellscape owned by Meta. That’s why Punk6529 is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
And Then There Was One
In an astonishing six months as crypto winter hobbled even well-funded crypto companies, Binance defended its position at the top of crypto exchanges and took down its $40 billion rival, FTX. That’s why Changpeng Zhao is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
Crypto’s Virgil Through the Market Hellscape
Arthur Hayes has been many things to crypto over the years: a builder, a showman and a criminal. This year, as the industry collapsed, he’s been a wise commentator for the inexperienced and perplexed. That’s why he is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
Setting a Standard for Global Regulation of Crypto
As the European Commissioner for financial services, McGuinness had the mammoth task of getting the EU’s landmark Markets in Crypto Assets framework through to the finish line this year. That’s why she is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
Misfortune Favors the Crypto Mouthpiece
The Bourne trilogy actor’s Crypto.com ad is a stand-in for all the cringe-inducing celebrity crypto shills you wish you could unsee. That’s why Matt Damon is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
Looks Who’s Taking a Crash Course in Crypto Bankruptcy
The chief bankruptcy judge of the Southern District of New York is learning on the job how crypto complicates bankruptcy law. He already has his hands full with Celsius Network, but his caseload could get even bigger in 2023. That’s why Martin Glenn is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
Leading the Best Business-Development Team in Web3
This year alone, Nike, Starbucks, Reddit and many other consumer-focused brands have chosen to partner with Polygon Studios to create their Web3 experiences. That’s why Polygon Studios CEO Ryan Wyatt is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
Empire of the Bored Apes
Yuga Labs has grown beyond the wild success of its Bored Ape Yacht Club collection to become an NFT powerhouse with a $4 billion valuation and big plans in the metaverse. That’s why Wylie Aronow, Greg Solano and Nicole Muniz are three of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.
Betting on a Decentralized, Cross-Chain Crypto Future
The 26-year-old president of Jump Crypto heads a DeFi juggernaut that’s building key infrastructure and cross-chain bridges, and investing in layer1 blockchains. For running on all cylinders in a year of crypto reckoning, Kanav Kariya is one of CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2022.