Cointelegraph ranks the top players of cryptocurrency and Blockchain, presenting the people responsible for making our more than $400 bln industry into what it is today.

What are the criteria, you ask? Without taking any liberties, we simply calculated the number of mentions each of the participants received in the mainstream ratings, such as Forbes’ and Fortune’s.

The story of cryptocurrency and Blockchain has been one of innovators and pioneers. While there has been no shortage of starts and stops, the industry has grown from humble beginnings to a global phenomenon in less than a decade.

Last year saw remarkable growth in interest towards crypto, driving prices in the markets to record-setting highs. At one point Bitcoin has gone beyond $20,000, while other coins such as Ethereum also saw massive gains.

We owe it to dozens of innovators and advocates for helping the industry grow and turn into what it is today. Among them you’ll no doubt find familiar faces.

Bitcoin guru Andreas Antonopoulos has brought Bitcoin to the masses with his book ‘Mastering Bitcoin”. Roger Ver was one of the first investors in Blockchain and helped grow the industry as a prominent advocate.

Vitalik Buterin, while having only spent 7 years in the crypto industry, has contributed massively, helping create the second largest cryptocurrency Ethereum in 2014.

We’ve also included people in the media affecting how the world is seeing and talking about cryptocurrencies and Blockchain technology. These include such prominent advocates like Laura Shin and Perianne Boring.

See how we’ve ranked the top influencers that are shaping the future of money.

Aaron Wood