25 Key Crypto Players To Follow In 2024

With the next Bitcoin Halving, accompanied by tentative events like the spot ETF approval — 2024 is already shaping up to be a big year for crypto.

Thus, Benzinga put together a list of 25 key individuals to follow to stay up-to-date on policy changes, innovation, institutional adaptation, or plain old-fashioned technical analysis.

Nayib Bukele (El Salvador)

Bukele is the 43^rd president of El Salvador, who has been in office since June 2019. He is known for his stark stance towards organized crime and exceptionally high approval ratings. In 2021 he made El Salvador into the first country to adopt Bitcoin as a legal tender.

Why follow Bukele?

Adopting Bitcoin as a legal tender was a revolutionary move. Despite the country's minuscule size, Bukele will enter the history books as a democratically elected leader who opted for a decentralized currency to fix economic issues.

Michael Saylor (Microstrategy)

Saylor is a billionaire investor and a co-founder of MicroStrategy (MSTR) – a business intelligence and mobile software provider. Despite resigning as CEO in August 2022, Saylor remains a major decision-maker at Microstrategy.

Why Follow Saylor?

Saylor is a known Bitcoin bull, responsible for Microstrategy's decision to hold alternative assets instead of cash. Under his direction, the firm accumulated over 140,000 Bitcoins, while Saylor personally bought over 17,000. With billions of dollars in crypto under his direct influence, Saylor's comments have legitimacy behind them.

Gary Gensler (SEC)

Gensler is a chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In his long career, he held distinctive positions in both the public and private sectors, including becoming one of the youngest partners in Goldman Sachs' history.

Why follow Gensler?

Cryptocurrency regulation is one of the hottest topics these days, with spot bitcoin ETF approval in the U.S. leading those discussions. As an SEC chairman, Gensler is de facto a regulatory seal of approval whose every word holds weight in this regard.

Brian Armstrong (Coinbase)

Armstrong is a co-founder and CEO of Coinbase (COIN), the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S. Armstrong's accolades included IBM (IBM), Deloitte and Airbnb (ABNB) before co-founding Coinbase in 2012.

Why follow Armstrong?

Coinbase is one of the most liquid, most regulated cryptocurrency exchanges globally. As its CEO, Armstrong has a significant influence in this market, especially due to the regulator's actions which might raise the barriers to entry.

Brett Harrison (Architect Financial Technologies)

Harrison is a Harvard-educated trading expert who worked for Jane Street Capital and Citadel Securities before joining FTX as the president of FTX US. Currently, he's the CEO and founder of Architect Financial Technologies.

Why follow Harrison?

Harrison is an expert with an intrinsic knowledge of financial markets and cryptocurrencies in particular. His latest project will provide institutions and large traders with trading infrastructure, while interfacing with qualified crypto custodians and self-hosted wallets. Since institutional adaptation is key to crypto market growth, any innovative solutions in this field are worth following.

William Quigley (WAX, Tether)

Quigley is a notable crypto venture capitalist, best known as a co-founder of Tether and WAX- an NFT trading platform. In 2013, he co-launched Crypto Currency Partners, a blockchain equity investment fund that was an early investor in companies like Coinbase, Kraken or Bitfury.

Why follow Quigley?

Quigley is an industry pioneer who directly or indirectly incubated or invested in over 30 cryptocurrency-related ventures. His rich experience and outstanding track record make him a perfect early adopter of many industry-related trends.

Michael Novogratz (Galaxy)

Novogratz is the founder and CEO of the cryptocurrency investment firm Galaxy Digital. Previously he had a distinctive career in finance as a Partner at Goldman Sachs (GS) and Partner and President of Fortress Investment Group. He also served on New York's FED Investment Advisory Committee from 2012 to 2015.

Why follow Novogratz?

Novogratz is one the most notable crypto evangelists who invested hundreds of millions in various crypto-related projects. His financial experience and extensive network of contacts ensure that he's always on top and ready to offer commentary on the latest industry developments.

Camila Russo (The Defiant)

Russo is the Founder of The Defiant – a DeFi-focused media company. She's a veteran Bloomberg journalist who covers all things crypto but is a noted Ethereum expert.

Why follow Russo?

Russo's work includes market updates, opinion pieces, interviews with industry leaders and weekly cap newsletters. This makes her a valuable source for everyone looking for unbiased information about DeFi.

Vitalik Buterin (Ethereum)

Buterin is a software developer best known as a co-founder of Ethereum. He's an early cryptocurrency adopter, who got involved with cryptocurrencies as a teenager, before dropping out of college to start Ethereum.

Why follow Buterin?

Buterin is a key person behind Ethereum (ETH) – the second most popular cryptocurrency which has more long-term holders than Bitcoin. He's an advocate for decentralization, innovation and privacy in the cryptocurrency space, whose efforts hold significant sway over the Web 3 space.

Jeffrey Zirlin (Axie infinity)

Jeff Zirlin is co-founder and growth lead of Sky Mavis – the company behind the NFT game Axie Infinity. Zirlin is an NFT enthusiast, seeing this technology as consumer-facing crypto that has much broader appeal than just for financial applications.

Why follow Zirlin?

Zirlin is a leading figure behind Axie Infinity- the largest NFT gaming ecosystem. With over 2.2 million daily active players and over $2 billion in total transactions, Zirlin's reach extends over the largest blockchain-powered online gaming communities.

Brad Garlinghouse (Ripple)

Garlinghouse is the CEO of Ripple Labs, the company behind the Ripple payment protocol and exchange network. Garlinghouse served at various companies, most notably as an SVP at Yahoo! and President of Consumer Applications at AOL.

See Also: EXCLUSIVE – Ripple’s Brendan Berry On 2024 Trends, Why Crypto’s ‘Second Wave’ Is All About Utility

Why follow Garlinghouse?

Ripple (XRP) is one of the largest cryptocurrencies in the market, owing to its speed, low costs, high scalability and environmental friendliness. As CEO of Ripple Labs, Garlinghouse's viewpoints are valuable, particularly due to the firm's clashes with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which eventually dropped all the claims.

John Glover (Ledn)

Glover is a CIO of Ledn, a leading provider of crypto-collateralized loans. His prior career was in forex markets, private equity and private credit as he worked for Barclays, TD Securities and Validus Risk Management.

Why follow Glover?

With a five-year positive track record, Glover's accountable and transparent approach provides an excellent option for investors who need crypto-backed loans. This way, they receive liquid funds without selling their cryptocurrency.

Larry Fink (BlackRock)

Larry Fink is the chairman and CEO of BlackRock (BLK) – the largest money management firm in the world with over $10 trillion in assets under management. Fink is a former fixed-income trader who co-founded BlackRock under the corporate umbrella of The Blackstone Group (BX), from which it eventually split in 1994.

Why follow Fink?

Fink was a notorious Bitcoin skeptic who turned into a believer. He shocked the market when BlackRock filed an application to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF, essentially godfathering the cryptocurrency into the institutional market. Often seen as a proxy actor of the public sector, Fink has significant influence over capital markets and his comments regarding cryptocurrencies will not pass without a spotlight.

Caitlin Long (Custodia Bank)

Caitlin Long is the founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, a cryptocurrency-friendly bank with its own Bitcoin custody platform.  Long is an industry veteran who worked for top-tier institutions like Salomon Brothers, Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley.

See Also: Custodia Bank CEO Caitlin Long Preps For 2024’s Bull Market

Why follow Long?

Long has been involved with cryptocurrencies since 2012. She's a lawyer who understands the legal framework surrounding this market. Thus, her opinions provide valuable insight into cryptocurrency regulation – likely one of the pivotal issues in 2024.

Javier Milei (Argentina)

Javier Milei is a newly elected president of Argentina. He achieved success by promising to restructure the country and end its economic decline. His proposed reforms include controversial measures like introducing the U.S. dollar and shutting down the Central Bank.

Why follow Milei?

An aggressive stance against centralized banking pushed Milei forward as a crypto-friendly president. He stated that "Bitcoin represents the return of money to its original creator, the private sector."  Governing economy the size of Argentina, any official involvement with cryptocurrencies could have a profound effect on the market.

Jennifer M. Johnson (Franklin Templeton)

Jennifer Johnson is President and CEO of Franklin Templeton (BEN)– one of the largest asset management companies, with over $1.5 trillion in assets under management. With a career in finance spanning over 35 years, Johnson earned her place on several "most influential women" lists.

Why follow Johnson?

Franklin Templeton recently joined the institutional rush into Bitcoin ETF applications. Meanwhile, Johnson expressed her interest in cryptocurrencies both on the professional and personal side. She holds crypto in her personal portfolio but also pursues blockchain technologies at Franklin Templeton – developing a tokenized money-market fund. She's a believer in blockchain's potential for providing more efficient market operations.

Cathie Wood (ARK)

Cathie Wood is the CEO and CIO of Ark Invest – an investment management firm specializing in actively managed ETFs. Wood previously worked for Capital Group, Jennison Associates and AllianceBernstein before finding Ark Invest in 2014.

Why follow Wood?

Wood is a famous Bitcoin bull who invested significant capital in publicly listed companies in this sector like Coinbase (COIN) and Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC). For the retail market Wood is one of the most familiar institutional faces who puts a lot of capital where her mouth is.

Murat Pak (NFT Artist)

Murat Pak also known as Pak is an anonymous digital artist best known for working with non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Pak's NFTs generated hundreds of millions of dollars in volume through primary and secondary markets, including platforms like Sotheby's, Nifty Gateway, MakersPlace and SuperRare.

Why follow Pak?

Pak is one of the most revered digital artists, whose work garnered much attention from established auction houses. As an industry-leading performer, it is worth keeping an eye on Pak to time the next wave of NFT success.

Saeed Zaman (TraderSZ)

Saeed Zaman aka TraderSZ is a UK-based analyst and trader. A decade ago, he started as a retail trader, eventually dropping out of college to pursue trading full-time. He found success in swing trading FX, indices and cryptocurrencies.

Why follow Zaman?

Saeed is an exceptional analyst and a student of price action. His notable predictions include a 2018 market bottom and a subsequent breakout, as well as a 2021 market top. These analyses, branded as "Bitcoin for ledges" helped him amass over half a million followers.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk needs no introduction. He's the richest person in the world, owing to an impressive entrepreneurial track record.

Why follow Musk?

Although Musk recently stated that none of his companies will ever issue cryptocurrency, his impact on the market is still undeniable. His public statements regarding meme coins like Dogecoin, buying Bitcoin through Tesla (TSLA), and allowing it as a payment option, had a significant impact on the market sentiment.

Keith Grossman (Moonpay)

Keith Grossman is President of MoonPay – a fintech provider of cryptocurrency payment solutions. Grossman is an industry veteran who worked for WIRED, Ars Technica and Bloomberg Media and TIME.

Why follow Grossman?

Grossman is known for picturesque metaphors regarding technology adaptation. In his famous remark, "nobody cares about how their toilet works," he explained why society adapts practical technology without hammering out every single detail. These examples make him a fan-favorite among crypto believers.

Anthony Pompliano (Pomp Letter)

Anthony Pompliano is an entrepreneur, a media personality, and a family office investor. His notable projects include "The Pomp Podcast" which boasts over 50 million downloads, and "The Pomp Letter" newsletter with over 250,000 subscribers.

Why follow Anthony Pompliano?

"Pomp" is an outspoken crypto evangelist who tied the majority of his 9-figure net worth to this industry. His newsletters are an excellent way to stay informed and his podcasts offer a treasure trove of insights from industry veterans.

Max Keiser (Keiser Report)

Timothy "Max" Keiser is a prominent financial broadcaster known for the Keiser Report – a financial program featuring heterodox economic theories. Keiser is an early Bitcoin investor whose holdings are estimated at 12,000 BTC.

Why follow Max Keiser?

Keiser is a unique personality known for unconventional angles and thought-provoking commentary. His active internet persona and real-time updates are valuable to everyone interested in cryptocurrencies and other financial and political issues.

Tom Emmer (R-MN)

Thomas Emmer Jr. is an attorney and a politician. As a member of the Republican Party, he has been representing Minnesota's 6^th congressional district since 2015. Emmer is a career-long public servant who has also been a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives between 2005 and 2011.

Why follow Emmer?

Emmer has been one of the top Congress crypto advocates, recognizing its potential way before most of his colleagues. He has served as co-chair of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus and introduced several digital currency bills. He's also outspoken against the Securities and Exchange Commission and has a critical stance against tougher federal intervention in crypto – dubbing crypto as "the next iteration of the internet." Emmer's actions will become even more pronounced as the crypto market heads toward federal regulation.

Jimmy Song (Bitcoin Tech Talk)

Jimmy Song is a software developer, educator and entrepreneur – best known for open-source contributions to various Bitcoin projects. He's the author of several books including Programming Bitcoin and The Little Bitcoin Book.

Why follow Song?

Song is one of the leading Bitcoin developers who teaches two graduate-level courses at the University of Texas at Austin. This makes him a preferred information source for fellow software enthusiasts, whom he reaches through his technical newsletter Bitcoin Tech Talk and a podcast Bitcoin Fixes This. As an expert witness in legal cases involving Bitcoin, he's also valuable to law industry professionals.

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