The Top 5 Crypto Adoption Influencers of 2022
Crypto's landmark growth is being championed by an eclectic mix of people, ranging from blockchain developers and multi-million dollar investors to reality TV stars and Tik Tok celebrities.
This short piece will look at a few people we feel have done much to push crypto into the popular conscience in 2022.
1) Vitalik Buterin
There is no better way to start a list of this sort than with the name of Vitalik Buterin. The Russian-born writer and developer is the co-founder of Ethereum (ETH), one of the world's biggest decentralized platforms and the birthplace of decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Vitalik Buterin is also the co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine, one of the most established and reliable sources for bitcoin (BTC) news and information.
Buterin is very active on Twitter, where he has more than 3.6 million followers. On the platform, the outspoken programmer shares insightful commentaries on the state of blockchain tech, crypto, and his frank take on current affairs.
He also shares valuable resources, including articles and reviews from Bitcoin Magazine and other trustworthy sources, which are often helpful to people interested in better understanding the workings of blockchain and its various applications.
The young crypto billionaire is also well-known for stoking debate on some of the most controversial aspects of the crypto space and does not shy away from sensitive issues.
Buterin is loved among the crypto community for his tendency to put principles and pragmatism ahead of overarching crypto politics. He is also a prominent philanthropist and has made numerous donations to several causes close to his heart.
2) Ivan On Tech
Ivan on Tech, also known as Ivan Liljeqvist, is a popular content creator based in Stockholm, Sweden. Ivan started his crypto journey in 2013 and is now recognized as a prominent leader in the development and trading of crypto.
Liljeqvist can be found on several social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. He has a combined following of nearly 900,000.
The blockchain enthusiast uses these online platforms, especially YouTube, to share humor-filled interviews, reviews, debates, analyses, and live talks on crypto.
Ivan has a unique trading style that has endeared him to many. His famous debate with stockbroker and financial commentator Peter Schiff made him a cult hero in the crypto community.
Ivan also spearheads Moralis, a comprehensive Web3 plug and play tool that helps accelerate the building of Web3 applications, decentralized apps (dApps), and DeFi protocols.
His other project, the Ivan On Tech Academy, is now known as the Moralis Academy. The academy offers an exhaustive array of crypto courses tailored for every level of expertise, from beginners trying to find their footing in the crypto space to seasoned veterans wanting to sharpen their knowledge in specific areas.
3) Erik Voorhees
Erik Voorhees is the founder and chief executive of ShapeShift, one of the major crypto exchanges in the world.
Erik was also one of the earliest BTC proponents after discovering the cryptocurrency from a friend's Facebook post back in May 2011.
With years of experience in the crypto field, which includes founding BitInstant, Coinapult, and SatoshiDice, the first-ever Bitcoin-based dice game, Voorhees is considered one of the leading voices in the field of BTC and crypto entrepreneurship.
Erik has been on Twitter since 2009 and currently has nearly 600,000 followers on the app. He is also very active on the platform. He peppers his opinions and insights on all things crypto with a generous dollop of his libertarian worldview.
Voorhees also pens articles about BTC and his company, ShapeShift, on Medium, where he has more than 8K followers.
4) Whale Panda
Whale Panda is a self-touted angel investor and "crypto OG" who started his crypto journey in 2013, long before it became popular and fashionable.
With nearly 300,000 followers, Whale Panda is revered among Twitter's crypto community for his honesty on issues concerning crypto, his funny comments, hot takes, and his tendency to call out wrong signals vociferously.
Whale Panda also co-hosts the popular Magical Crypto Friends channel on YouTube, alongside Riccardo Spagni, Charlie Lee, and Samson Mews.
In a 2018 interview on Bitcoin, Blockchain, and the Technologies of Our Time, Stefan Jespers was revealed as the man behind the Whale Panda moniker.
As Whale Panda, Jespers continues to weigh in on numerous topics and news events affecting the crypto space. He often uses his extensive experience in the space to give the public gems of wisdom on many issues, including leverage trading, paid groups, and crypto scams.
5) Camila Russo
Crypto might seem like a male-dominated space, but more women are taking their places at the table.
Camila Russo is one such woman. She is a financial journalist of global repute and the founder and CEO of The Defiant, a no-shill content platform for DeFis, NFTs, and Web3.
Camila also wrote The Infinite Machine, a book about the history of Ethereum, which is set to become a movie whose production will be fully funded by NFTs.
Russo is not only a prolific and desiccated crypto journalist, but she has also moderated and spoken at some of the most important crypto conferences.
She has nearly 80,000 followers on Twitter. Her account is usually full of eye-opening talks, introspections on tech, and assorted interactions with fellow crypto enthusiasts.
Author’s Take
Crypto is a relatively new industry, and as such, most people only have a rudimentary understanding of it. Influencers with the proper knowledge and information are critical to the continued growth of the space. While names like Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather might have more reach and star power than others on the list above, there's always a worry that they might be more easily used to shill for pump and dump scams.
The best crypto influencers need significant community engagements and positive subscriber growth. Still, most importantly, they must have quality and credible content.