Los Angeles Fire Zone: Anxious Crypto Elites and Their Mansions in Peril
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Los Angeles Fire Zone: Anxious Crypto Elites and Their Mansions in Peril
Their mansion is just a 20-minute drive from the nearest fire line.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsBy: Jaleel
This could be the worst wildfire in California's history.
The fire has hit Pacific Palisades hardest, flattening 75% of homes in the area. With seasonal strong winds returning, the flames are being driven eastward. In addition to the Palisades fire, two other major wildfires are currently burning across Los Angeles, putting surrounding communities under immense pressure.
Even some of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods have not been spared by this natural fury. The luxurious mansions that once symbolized the wealth and success of Western celebrities and crypto magnates now stand on the front lines of disaster.
On these infamous streets ravaged by wildfires, alongside Hollywood stars, reside several prominent figures from the cryptocurrency world—newly minted millionaires whose symbols of business achievement now face direct threats from relentless natural forces.
Moonbirds Founder: Home Completely Destroyed
"Sadly, lost everything in the #PacificPalisades fire. There’s nothing left," wrote Kevin Rose, founder of Moonbirds, alongside a video he posted showing his burned-out home and neighborhood.
As seen in his footage, Rose’s Los Angeles residence was completely destroyed in the California wildfires.
Rose first gained recognition as the creator of Digg before transitioning into venture capital and becoming one of the earliest investors in Twitter and Square. He rose to fame again in December 2021 during the NFT bull run with the launch of Moonbirds.
Last year, Rose sold Moonbirds to Yuga Labs. As part of the deal, he served briefly as an advisor at Yuga Labs. The project quickly amassed over $500 million in sales through a series of NFT drops and raised $50 million from Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z).
Rose’s prominence peaked with Moonbirds’ success. Around that time, he purchased a $16.5 million home in Brentwood, a celebrity-studded enclave known for its opulent properties. His modern-designed mansion spanned more than 7,600 square feet in an “L” shape, largely constructed with glass walls offering panoramic views of Los Angeles. Tragically, this beautiful home has now been entirely consumed by the fire.
What many don’t know is that in a past podcast, Rose revealed the immense stress caused by his NFT ventures. He openly discussed suffering from anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, and even a brain aneurysm due to explosive growth in NFT trading volumes. He eventually tried ketamine therapy, which brought him a sense of relief he hadn't felt since adolescence.
Perhaps drawing from those experiences, Rose shared philosophical reflections about embracing uncertainty on social media following the fire, seeking mental freedom and peace through acceptance. "When we understand the truth of uncertainty, we become free," he said.
MaJi Brother: 16 km from Fire Zone
In the Chinese-speaking crypto community, few names carry as much weight as MaJi Brother.
In June 2023, Taiwanese entertainer and NFT tycoon Steve Huang (aka MaJi Brother) purchased a luxury mansion in Los Angeles’ prestigious Bird Streets neighborhood for $25 million. The sprawling villa covers 14,000 square feet and features amenities such as a wine cellar, marble bar, and large gym, with five bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
The property, originally listed at $34 million when it was completed in early 2022, was acquired by MaJi Brother at roughly 75% below asking price. He now neighbors notable figures including Foxconn founder Terry Gou, Winklevoss twins, and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault.
Photos show the house dominated by beige and brown tones, featuring spacious interiors with open-concept design and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hollywood Hills—an idyllic retreat.
While MaJi Brother owns multiple luxury homes, his Bird Streets estate—just 16 kilometers from the Pacific Palisades fire zone—is likely among the most nerve-wracking during this wildfire season.
Ankr Founder: 14 km from Fire Zone
Adjacent to the Bird Streets neighborhood lives another crypto figure—Song Yunfan, founder of Ankr—and also a neighbor to MaJi Brother.
On November 22, 2021, the then-27-year-old crypto entrepreneur bought a luxury estate in LA’s affluent district for $12 million. Located near Doheny Estates hills and adjacent to the famous Bird Streets, the house was completed in early 2019. Initially priced near $17 million, it remained on the market for over two years with repeated price adjustments before finally selling to Song.
According to Dirt, the villa was designed by architectural firm XTEN, covering 7,500 square feet with five bedrooms and six bathrooms. Its modern aesthetic features expansive glass walls providing abundant natural light and stunning city views. The architecture blends seamlessly with other Hollywood Hills mansions. Amenities include a spacious living area, dining space with a marble bar, fully equipped kitchen, private cinema, and an underground garage with epoxy flooring capable of housing multiple vehicles.
Song Yunfan’s achievements are equally impressive. A UC Berkeley graduate and former Amazon software engineer, he co-founded Bounce, an NFT auction platform, and launched the Ankr token. In 2019, he was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” cementing his influence in global tech and cryptocurrency.
His luxurious villa lies approximately 14.5 kilometers from the Pacific Palisades fire zone. As of Saturday noon, firefighters had contained 11% of the blaze—meaning Ankr’s founder’s property remains under threat but still safe for now.
Coinbase CEO: 25 km from Fire Zone
Just months ago, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong hosted a grand wedding on the lawn of his Los Angeles mansion—a $133 million estate located within the very city now being ravaged by wildfires. Fortunately, the property has so far escaped damage.
Situated at 10671 Chalon Road, Los Angeles, CA 90077, the estate spans nearly five acres and includes a 19,000-square-foot main house and a 6,600-square-foot guesthouse, with at least 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. Full amenities include a tennis court, two swimming pools, motor court, home theater, spa, and gym.
The residence was designed by renowned British architect John Pawson, known for his signature minimalist aesthetic. Featuring a “stacked cube” structure, vast glass walls, and sleek interior finishes paired with wide oak furnishings, the design creates a modern yet comfortable living environment.
Originally owned by Hidetake Tomita, founder of Japanese job agency Dip Corporation, who bought it for $85 million in 2018, the property later sold to Armstrong for $133 million—one of the most expensive single-family home transactions in Los Angeles history.
The mansion sits about 25.35 kilometers in straight-line distance from the Pacific Palisades fire zone—roughly a 22-minute drive under normal traffic conditions. With unobstructed views to the west, Armstrong may have watched plumes of dark smoke rising from the fires, surely bringing a moment of unease. But fortunately, Armstrong and his family remain safe.
Kraken Former CEO: Mansion in Peril
Among the crypto figures mentioned, Jesse Powell, former CEO of Kraken, might be the most anxious. His luxury home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles is dangerously close to the Pacific Palisades fire zone.
A co-founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, Powell stepped down from the CEO role, but his life hasn’t been quiet since. In March 2023, his home was raided by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), part of an investigation into alleged hacking and cyberstalking targeting a nonprofit arts organization.
Now, the same mansion searched by the FBI faces imminent danger from the wildfires. Located just a few miles from the active fire zone, the neighborhood has already been placed under road closures.
Such proximity would unsettle anyone. Particularly during wildfire season, ongoing fire updates and evacuation alerts likely place immense psychological strain—even on someone as influential in tech and crypto as Powell.
Powell appears to be one of the most engaged crypto figures monitoring the fire situation. Scrolling through his recent tweets reveals repeated criticism of government response efforts and concern for affected residents—clear signs of his personal anxiety. It seems that in the years since the FBI raid, Powell has not sold this Los Angeles property, leaving it directly in harm’s way.
PayPal Co-Founder: 16 km from Fire Zone
A well-known venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal—often credited as part of the "mafia" that ousted Elon Musk—Peter Thiel holds a towering status in Silicon Valley.
In recent years, however, Thiel has publicly aligned himself with Donald Trump, distancing himself from the increasingly liberal-leaning Silicon Valley. He frequently champions the disruptive potential of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in public forums, advocating them as alternatives to traditional finance and government systems. His investment in Bitcoin and blockchain has grown significantly; his firm Founders Fund was one of the first mainstream institutions to recognize and invest in Bitcoin, expanding his influence in the crypto space.
In 2018, seeking distance from Silicon Valley’s political climate, Thiel relocated both his home and investment firm to Los Angeles. His residence is a modern luxury villa in the Hollywood area, which he purchased in 2011 for $11.5 million.
The estate, perched above Sunset Boulevard, boasts state-of-the-art facilities including a large master suite, dining room, family room, gourmet kitchen, and swimming pool. With four bedrooms and five bathrooms, the indoor-outdoor living spaces evoke a Hawaiian island ambiance. Spread across 5,870 square feet, the compound includes a pool and dual driveways accessing different streets—an exceptionally rare find in the region.
Its location places it only 16 kilometers from the Palisades fire zone, posing a potential risk to personal safety.
Others
As wildfires spread rapidly across California, they threaten not only millions of residents but also numerous companies and individuals in the cryptocurrency industry. In this disaster, many members of the crypto community have lost their homes—and in some cases, irreplaceable assets such as hardware wallets.
Employees of Santa Monica Bitcoin Office and Swan Bitcoin—a company that previously hosted the Pacific Bitcoin conference in Santa Monica—are located directly south of the Palisades and Sunset fire zones, placing them under immediate threat. Additionally, blockchain service provider BlockDaemon and crypto gaming developer SuperVerse are headquartered in Los Angeles, while blockchain-based identity and tokenization firm SpringLabs is based nearby in Marina del Rey.
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