From Two Pizzas to a Major Asset Class: 27 Key Figures Behind Bitcoin's 16-Year Rise
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From Two Pizzas to a Major Asset Class: 27 Key Figures Behind Bitcoin's 16-Year Rise
Who propelled Bitcoin from a "pizza voucher" to the pinnacle of global assets today?
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Fairy, ChainCatcher
Important Note: This ranking is a subjective assessment based on publicly available information, intended for fun discussion only. It does not constitute investment advice or industry certification. Please refer to it rationally and enjoy the read. For inquiries or tips, feel free to reach out—we will keep updating.
Since Laszlo bought two pizzas with 10,000 bitcoins on May 22, 2010, Bitcoin has evolved from an experiment by programming enthusiasts into a "major asset class" valued by global institutions, sovereign funds, and even nations. Behind this transformation are key individuals and organizations that have persistently driven its growth—some evangelizing for over a decade, others channeling hundreds of billions in capital into BTC.
As Pizza Day approaches, we revisit the key figures behind Bitcoin’s 16-year rise. This list evaluates their real-world contributions to Bitcoin's mainstream adoption across multiple core dimensions, using a "star rating" system to illustrate each influencer’s lasting impact.
Evaluation criteria include:
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Technical & Ideological Contribution: Whether they advanced Bitcoin’s technology or ideological development.
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Market Influence: Whether they significantly impacted Bitcoin’s price or adoption through investments, products, or policies.
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Community & Education: Whether they raised Bitcoin awareness via media, speeches, or community activities.
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Persistence & Reputation: Whether they consistently supported Bitcoin and maintained a positive standing in the industry.
Let’s explore together who transformed Bitcoin from a “pizza voucher” into today’s global asset powerhouse?
Protocol Blacksmiths
Origin Point: Satoshi Nakamoto
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Role: Founder of Bitcoin
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Contributions: Whitepaper publication, network launch, coding development
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭ (Hall of Fame)
The undisputed "Creator," the one who planted the seed of technology and ideology, enters directly into the "Hall of Fame." Satoshi holds approximately 1.1 million bitcoins, about 5% of total supply, whose "dormant" holdings symbolize market stability. He spread Bitcoin ideas through cryptography mailing lists before retiring around 2010.
Casey Rodarmor (Inventor of the Ordinals Protocol)
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Key Event: Proposed the Ordinals protocol in 2023, sparking the Bitcoin NFT boom
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Influence: Opened Pandora’s box of "non-monetary uses" for Bitcoin, energizing developers and new narratives
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Casey Rodarmor released the Ordinals protocol in early 2023, enabling users to inscribe text, images, and other data onto the Bitcoin blockchain, catalyzing the emergence of new asset standards like BRC-20 and revitalizing the Bitcoin ecosystem. Though controversial—many core developers argue it "pollutes" block space—Ordinals undeniably broke Bitcoin’s single narrative, drawing significant attention from developers, artists, and capital.
Luke Dashjr (Early BTC Core Developer)
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Key Event: Over ten years of continuous involvement in Bitcoin Core code maintenance and upgrades
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Influence: One of the most seasoned core developers, a "gatekeeper" safeguarding the Bitcoin protocol
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭
Luke Dashjr is one of Bitcoin’s earliest core developers and remains active today. Since 2011, he has contributed to Bitcoin’s core code, including implementing BIP 22 and 23, and maintains parts of the Bitcoin Improvement Proposals on GitHub. In 2014, he released BFG Miner, one of the most widely used Bitcoin mining implementations.
Adam Back (Co-founder & CEO of Blockstream)
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Key Event: Early cryptographer, inventor of Hashcash; later promoted sidechains and Lightning Network infrastructure
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Influence: Dual evangelism in ideology and technology
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Adam Back is one of the few people acknowledged by name in Satoshi Nakamoto’s whitepaper. His invention, Hashcash, became a foundational component of Bitcoin’s proof-of-work mechanism and influenced BTC’s consensus design. Through Blockstream, he advanced critical scalability and privacy tools such as the Liquid sidechain and the Lightning Network.
Roger Ver (Founder of Bitcoin.com)
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Key Event: Early investor in blockchain startups; later led the BCH fork
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Influence: An early Bitcoin evangelist and the most controversial figure associated with division
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭
Roger Ver, known as "Bitcoin Jesus," was one of Bitcoin’s most aggressive early evangelists and investors, making major contributions to its global popularization and ideological dissemination. In 2017, he supported the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) fork, opposing Bitcoin Core’s small-block strategy, which caused community division and damaged his reputation.
Institutional Evangelists & Wall Street Guides
Michael Saylor (Co-founder of Strategy)
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Key Event: Invested corporate assets into Bitcoin, total holdings exceeding 150,000 BTC
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Influence: Pioneer of corporate treasury allocation to BTC, driving the "corporate treasury" model
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
Starting in 2020, Michael Saylor led Strategy to accumulate roughly 560,000 bitcoins (about 2.6% of total supply), triggering a wave of corporate investment. His Bitcoin-focused strategy also drove the company’s stock price upward. Through interviews, X (formerly Twitter), and crypto summits, Saylor became a global Bitcoin evangelist, attracting institutional investors.
Larry Fink (CEO of BlackRock)
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Key Event: Drove application and successful approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs
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Influence: Helped BTC cross the "compliance threshold" for institutional investment, legitimizing it within global asset allocation
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
Fink once called Bitcoin a "money laundering tool" in 2017 but reversed course dramatically by 2023, embracing Bitcoin ETFs. BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) was approved in 2024, becoming the fastest-growing ETF in history, managing over $63.7 billion in assets, attracting traditional investors and helping push Bitcoin’s price past $100,000.
Barry Silbert (Founder of DCG)
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Key Event: Created Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), guiding early institutional capital into Bitcoin
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Influence: Built a "trust channel" for Bitcoin, serving as a crucial bridge before ETFs
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Under Barry Silbert, Grayscale was the primary vehicle for compliant institutional Bitcoin exposure. He launched the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) in 2013, offering institutions and retail investors access to Bitcoin without direct ownership. By 2024, GBTC transitioned into an ETF, managing nearly $200 billion in assets.
Jack Dorsey (Founder of Block, former Twitter CEO)
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Key Event: Enabled Bitcoin buying/selling via Cash App in 2018, led Block (formerly Square) to purchase and hold Bitcoin long-term, launched Btrust fund
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Influence: A key disseminator of BTC within Silicon Valley and internet circles
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Jack Dorsey is a steadfast believer in Bitcoin’s philosophy. Block’s Cash App became a major entry point for millions of users to access BTC. He actively developed open-source self-custody wallets and mining hardware, advancing decentralized Bitcoin infrastructure. His Btrust fund supports global developers, initially focusing on teams in Africa and India.
Cathie Wood (Founder of ARK Invest)
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Key Event: Repeatedly applied for Bitcoin ETFs, publicly championed Bitcoin’s long-term value
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Influence: Drew next-generation growth investors (especially tech stock investors) to BTC
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭
ARK Invest’s ARKW ETF has invested in Bitcoin-related companies (e.g., Grayscale, Coinbase) since 2018. Starting in 2021, they applied for a spot Bitcoin ETF, and in 2024, their ARKB ETF was approved, now managing over $5 billion in assets.
Elon Musk (Founder of Tesla, X, SpaceX)
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Key Event: In 2021, Tesla announced a $1.5 billion Bitcoin purchase and briefly accepted Bitcoin payments (later paused due to energy concerns).
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Influence: One of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs; his actions directly move crypto market sentiment
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Musk played the role of "sentiment amplifier" and "mainstream breakout catalyst" in Bitcoin’s history. Tesla’s 2021 Bitcoin purchase sparked a wave of institutional follow-through and pushed BTC prices to new highs. Additionally, his support for the meme coin DOGE helped bring meme culture to the center stage of the crypto asset world.
Paul Tudor Jones (Legendary Hedge Fund Manager)
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Key Event: Publicly invested in Bitcoin in 2020, calling it the "best inflation hedge"
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Influence: Opened the gates of awareness for traditional Wall Street capital, marking a turning point in Bitcoin’s institutionalization
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Paul Tudor Jones is one of the key figures behind Bitcoin’s institutional adoption. Leveraging his macro investing perspective and Wall Street influence, he accelerated Bitcoin’s mainstream acceptance. His investment inspired firms like Bridgewater and JPMorgan to follow, drawing Wall Street capital into the space.
Policy Architects
Nayib Bukele (President of El Salvador)
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Key Event: Led El Salvador to become the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender
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Influence: Elevated Bitcoin from "asset" to "currency" status, setting a national adoption precedent
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
Nayib Bukele pushed through the "Bitcoin Law" in June 2021, making El Salvador the first nation to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender, usable for taxes, payments, and debt settlement. The government launched the Chivo wallet, planned a "Bitcoin City," and leveraged volcanic geothermal energy for Bitcoin mining. While controversial, this national experiment stands as a pivotal milestone in Bitcoin’s history.
Trump (U.S. President)
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Key Event: Advocated including Bitcoin in national strategic reserves, pledged to "make America the crypto capital"
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Influence: Strengthened Bitcoin’s status through executive power, ushering in a new era of "sovereign Bitcoin" narrative
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
During his 2024 campaign, Trump boldly pledged to "make America the Bitcoin capital." Shortly after taking office in 2025, he signed an executive order directing the Treasury to study adding Bitcoin to strategic reserves, accelerating a regulatory shift toward friendliness. His policy stance not only reshaped U.S. Bitcoin regulation but also intensified global policy discussions, prompting other nations to explore Bitcoin reserve plans.
Gary Gensler (Former SEC Chair)
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Key Event: Approved the first U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, ending a decade of rejections
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Influence: The "final approver" at the regulatory level
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Star Rating: ✭✭
Gary Gensler played a complex and controversial role in Bitcoin policy. From 2021 to 2023, he led lawsuits against exchanges like Coinbase and Binance, accusing them of unregistered securities offerings, indirectly forcing Bitcoin-related firms to strengthen compliance and promote industry standardization. In 2024, under market and political pressure, Gensler approved 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs—a turning point in Bitcoin’s mainstream journey.
Cynthia Lummis (Chair of U.S. Senate Digital Assets Subcommittee)
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Key Event: Proposed the "Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act," advocated legislative reforms for crypto regulation
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Influence: A legislative supporter of Bitcoin, working to establish clear policy frameworks to protect crypto markets
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭
Cynthia Lummis has driven Bitcoin policy standardization through legislation and regional experiments, emerging as a leader in U.S. policymaking circles. Under her influence, Wyoming became a crypto-friendly state and plans to issue the first U.S. state-level stablecoin in July.
Hester Peirce (SEC Commissioner)
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Key Event: Advocated for clearer regulatory frameworks for crypto markets, supported Bitcoin ETF approvals
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Influence: Champion of regulatory reform, pushing for a more flexible and lenient environment for crypto
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭
Hester Peirce, known as the "Crypto Mom," has long supported the legalization of crypto assets within the SEC, advocating for the approval of innovative financial products like Bitcoin ETFs. Her views carry strong influence in the industry, making her a key force in advancing crypto legitimacy.
Julia Leung (CEO of Hong Kong SFC)
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Key Event: Advanced Hong Kong’s virtual asset platform licensing regime and strengthened cross-border regulatory cooperation
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Influence: Guided crypto regulatory policy in Asia-Pacific, balancing innovation with risk control
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭
Julia Leung established Hong Kong’s position as a global crypto hub through clear regulatory frameworks and forward-looking policies. She led the implementation of the virtual asset trading platform licensing system, approved Asia’s first spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in April 2024, and plans to introduce a stablecoin regulatory framework.
William Wu (Hong Kong Legislative Council Member)
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Key Event: Proposed a HK$100 million fund to support the Web3 industry, advocated for a "Digital Pass" allowing mainland investors to trade Hong Kong-approved digital assets
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Influence: Promoted compliant innovation in virtual assets, advancing Hong Kong’s crypto ecosystem
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭
William Wu is a key figure in Hong Kong’s business and political circles driving digital economy and virtual asset development. As chair of the Legislative Council’s Web3 and Virtual Asset Development Panel, he proposed a HK$100 million fund to support Web3 and advocated the "Digital Pass" to allow mainland investors to access Hong Kong-approved digital assets.
Crypto OGs & Platform Drivers
Brian Armstrong (Co-founder of Coinbase)
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Key Event: Founded Coinbase, built it into the largest compliant crypto exchange in the U.S., successfully listed, and included in the S&P 500
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Influence: Coinbase represents the U.S. path to regulatory compliance, providing access for retail and institutional investors
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
Brian Armstrong is a pivotal figure in bringing crypto into regulated and capital markets. Coinbase’s 2021 IPO and subsequent inclusion in the S&P 500 marked a major milestone linking the industry with Wall Street. Through Coinbase Prime and custody services, he supports spot Bitcoin ETFs for firms like BlackRock and Fidelity, reinforcing Bitcoin’s institutional adoption.
Jihan Wu (Founder of Bitdeer, Matrixport)
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Key Event: Founded Bitmain, Bitdeer, and Matrixport, shaping the mining industry landscape
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Influence: Advanced Bitcoin network security and hash rate growth by providing efficient mining equipment
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Jihan Wu gained recognition by translating Satoshi’s original Bitcoin whitepaper and became a key driver of Bitcoin’s industrialization. His company Bitmain once controlled over 70% of global mining power, making him one of Bitcoin’s earliest capital supporters. However, his advocacy for large blocks and support for the BCH fork caused community division. Internal conflicts at Bitmain led to his exit from management in 2021.
Leon Li (Founder of Huobi)
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Key Event: Founded Huobi, driving early adoption of crypto in China
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Influence: Huobi was once among the world’s largest exchanges, advancing Bitcoin’s popularity in Asia
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭
Leon Li played a significant role in China’s early crypto market. In 2014, he shared the stage with NPC Standing Committee member Wu Xiaoling at the Sanya International Financial Forum, presenting on "The Development and Outlook of Cryptocurrency" and promoting Bitcoin’s financial potential. Due to regulatory scrutiny, he was investigated in 2020 and exited Huobi’s shareholder and management roles by 2022.
Changpeng Zhao CZ (Founder of Binance)
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Key Event: Founded Binance, rapidly growing it into the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange
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Influence: Provided diverse trading services, accelerating Bitcoin’s global circulation and adoption
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
CZ is renowned for his massive contributions to global exchange development and Bitcoin adoption. Founded Binance in 2017, building a full ecosystem including public chains, wallets, incubators, and stablecoins. Despite stepping down as Binance CEO under regulatory pressure, CZ continues to promote Bitcoin and crypto adoption globally, with influence spanning retail users, projects, and regulators.
Star Xu (Founder of OKX)
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Key Event: Founded OKX, offering diversified cryptocurrency trading services
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Influence: Innovator in Asian crypto exchange structure, advancing futures and derivatives businesses
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Star Xu founded OKCoin (later evolved into OKX) in 2013, and by 2014 it became one of the world’s largest Bitcoin trading platforms. He authored books such as "Blockchain Illustrated" and "Token Economy." In 2020, he faced restrictions due to an M&A investigation and stepped down from the board of OKG in 2022.
Marty Bent (Podcast Host)
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Key Event: Managing Partner at Ten31, host of podcast "Tales from the Crypt," advancing deep propagation of Bitcoin ideas
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Influence: Spread Bitcoin culture through podcasts, media, and education, deeply impacting grassroots communities and developer ecosystems in the U.S.
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Star Rating: ✭✭
Marty Bent uses words and microphones to convey Bitcoin’s values, serving as a key guardian of its ideological core. Former head of Great American Mining, he actively promotes Bitcoin mining using stranded energy, advocating for energy reuse combined with decentralized network security.
Jimmy Song (Bitcoin Educator, Developer, Entrepreneur)
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Key Event: Global speaker, author of multiple Bitcoin books
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Influence: A bridge between technical普及 and ideology, connecting developers and the public
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Star Rating: ✭✭
Jimmy Song was once a contributor to Bitcoin Core, later shifting focus to education and outreach. He authored books including "Programming Bitcoin" and "Thank God for Bitcoin," and has spoken at numerous global conferences promoting Bitcoin.
Andreas M. Antonopoulos (Bitcoin Educator, Author)
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Key Event: Authored classics like "Mastering Bitcoin" and "The Internet of Money," conducted global speaking tours to promote Bitcoin
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Influence: A foundational figure in shaping public understanding of Bitcoin
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Star Rating: ✭✭✭✭
Andreas M. Antonopoulos is one of the most influential educators in the Bitcoin community. He has written over 200 educational articles and delivered dozens of talks worldwide, promoting the idea that "Bitcoin is the foundation of decentralized finance," influencing global policy debates.
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