Take a look at the 10 most influential women in the crypto world

SUMMARY

Last year, CoinSwitch Kuber saw a 1,000 percent increase in the number of women registering on the crypto exchange. This growth spurt is also mirrored in the number of women in positions of authority throughout the crypto ecosystem.

By CNBCTV18.comApr 27, 2022 7:41:38 AM IST (Updated)

In its early days, the tech industry was primarily male-dominated. However, as time went by, women shattered the glass ceiling and started gaining prominence in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs of the world. And the crypto industry is no different.Last year, CoinSwitch Kuber saw a 1,000 percent increase in the number of women registering on the crypto exchange. This growth spurt is also mirrored in the number of women in positions of authority throughout the crypto ecosystem. Let’s take a look at some of these influential women and how they are shaping the future of cryptocurrency the world over.

Elizabeth Stark |Stark is unequivocally responsible for making Bitcoin transactions faster and more commercially accessible. She is the co-founder of the Lightning Lab, a company that created a layer 2 solution called the Lightning Network for Bitcoin transactions. The Lightning Network works on top of the base blockchain layer to increase transaction throughput and speed.Stark’s work on the Lightning Network has been instrumental in advocating the practical use of Bitcoin in the real world, exemplified by her Lightning Network demonstration in congress. Stark is also a member of Coin Centre, a leading cryptocurrency policy organisation that promotes and develops sound regulations.

Cathie Wood |The CEO and Chief Investment Officer at ARK Investments, Cathie Wood has been one of the most ardent supporters of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. ARK has been a disruptive force in the investment world, providing investment options to public-market investors seeking long-term gains.Wood herself is a Bitcoin evangelist. She had made bold statements regarding Bitcoin, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency. She is most known for her prediction that Bitcoin will reach the price of $1 million by 2030. She also appeared on stage at the Bitcoin Conference 2022 and argued that the environment has never been more bullish for Bitcoin.

Kathleen Breitman |Kathleen Breitman is the co-founder of Tezos, a decentralised open-source blockchain with a market cap of around $2.5 billion. However, when Tezos was still a start-up, Kathleen raised $232 million in an ICO, the seventh-largest in history. Before she founded Tezos, Kathleen was also a senior strategy associate for R3, a blockchain consortium. Before that, Kathleen also worked at the Wall Street Journal, Accenture and Bridgewater Associates.

Tina Bhatnagar |Tina Bhatnagar is the former vice-president of operations and technology at Coinbase, the global cryptocurrency exchange. She joined Coinbase in 2018 and has helped set up several of its offices in the US and Europe. She also played a significant role in guiding the company on the PR front after allegations that Coinbase had been leaking user data. Before joining Coinbase, she was also the VP of Operations for Twitter and Salesforce. Currently, she is Co-Founder & CEO of PlexHQ, a platform for team communications.

Ani Itireleng |Until now, all the women mentioned in this list have a somewhat global impact in the crypto stratosphere. However, there are many women who have had a significant effect on how crypto is seen in their countries. One of them is Ani Itireleng. She has done wonders for the crypto movement in Africa.She is often referred to as the ‘BitcoinLady’, and has created the Satoshi centre, a Bitcoin marketplace in Botswana. Named after the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, this marketplace is an exclusive centre for transactions made with Bitcoin. She has also helped create a blockchain hub known as El Viaje es infinito that helps children learn tech skills.

Meltem Demirors |Demirors is the chief strategy officer of Coinshares, a digital asset investment firm based in London. She oversees digital asset portfolios for more than 100 organisations and four auxiliary firms. Demirors also hosts a weekly crypto podcast and is an instrumental part in organising the yearly Crypto Springs conference in Palm Springs.She is a vital part and co-seat of the World Economic Forum Cryptocurrency Council, sanctioned by the House Financial Services Committee.

Laura Shin |Shin is a prominent reporter, investigative journalist and a former senior editor for Forbes. She has been doing diligent and precise investigative reporting in fintech, business and economy for years. But recently, she has been concentrating on the crypto world. She hosts a popular blockchain-based podcast called ‘Unchained’, where she regularly talks to industry pioneers.But her most significant achievement in the crypto world would be her recently released book ‘Cryptopians: Idealism, greed and making of the first cryptocurrency craze’. The book was a masterclass in investigative journalism that focused on the creation and the creators of the Ethereum Foundation.

Galia Benartzi |Benartzi is the co-founder of the Bancor network, the first decentralised trading protocol that empowers traders and liquidity providers to operate in an open financial marketplace. She was a crucial member in the development of the network and was even named one of Europe’s top 50 women in tech by Forbes.She has had immense influence in the crypto community, frequently appearing on news outlets like Bloomberg and CNBC. She also has been a speaker at Tedx and the Oslo Freedom Forum on monetary theory and innovation.

Cynthia Lummis |Cynthia Lummis is one of the few politicians in America who has come out to support Bitcoin. A senator from Wyoming, Lummis is an ardent advocate of Bitcoin investment and has supported legislation for the same in the U.S congress. She has bought more than $100,00 worth of Bitcoin in the past few years and claims that she purchased her first bitcoin in 2013 when it was worth $330 per coin. At the 2022 Bitcoin Conference, she outlined details of the crypto bipartisan bill.

Blythe Masters |Masters is a former JPMorgan Chase executive who was acknowledged as the creator of the credit default swap financial instrument. She started her journey in the crypto world as the chief executive officer of Digital Assets Holding. This start-up focused on developing distributed ledger technology for wholesale financial services. She is one of the first Wall Street executives to get into the blockchain and crypto world.She is currently a board member and non-executive director at several institutions, such as the Credit Suisse, CAIS, GCM Grosvenor, etc.