Three heavyweights are vying for the most influential person in crypto this year, each bringing their own brand of chaos – but who will win 99Bitcoin’s Crypto Person of the Year 2024 award?
Peter Todd, who some claim is the elusive creator of Bitcoin; Justin Sun, the polarizing face behind Tron; And Michael Saylor, the MicroStrategy tycoon who is betting billions on Bitcoin.
We often think of people in crypto as being internet schizophrenic with too much time on their hands. And maybe these guys!
Call them whatever you want; These so-called eccentrics make up an industry that refuses to ignore – but who had the biggest impact this year?
#3 – Runner-up: Is Peter Todd Satoshi Nakamoto?
In the new HBO documentary “Money Electric,” Peter Todd, one of Bitcoin’s main developers, is identified as Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin.
The two-hour documentary initially depicts Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream and early Bitcoin developer, as Satoshi. It’s just a ruse to shift the blame onto Todd, who the film claims may have mistakenly continued a post under Satoshi Nakamoto’s name on a forum using an alternate account.
Look at this sentence below and tell us it’s not suspicious…
The film suggests that Todd’s thoughts flow seamlessly from Satoshi’s original comment (pictured above), echoing the same prose style. Todd also had the perfect alibi and excuse on the tip of his tongue when the interviewer mentioned this strange exchange.
You can read the live guide for yourself here.
There are reasons to doubt that Todd is Satoshi:
1) Tech communities often exchange esoteric slang on the Internet.
2) The film depicts Todd’s response as “too technical” when no one in the BTC community at the time could understand Satoshi’s point.
3) Many developers have extraordinary talent, but their social flaws, such as the way they talk online, make them easy prey for the media.
In the end, this movie is only good to show someone who is a complete newbie to Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
It does not prove who Satoshi Nakamoto is beyond a reasonable doubt.
#2 – Runner-up: Cryptocurrency joker Justin Sun
Justin Sun, a disciple of Alibaba’s Jack Ma, has become a crypto clown.
In his thesis, “The Birth of the Decentralized Internet,” Justin Sun explored the potential of blockchain before graduating from Huban University in 2018. Before graduating, Justin Sun founded the Tron blockchain in 2017, a competitor to Ethereum.
Just a few weeks ago, President-elect Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency gamble, World Liberty Financial, appeared dead in the water. The coin fell despite weeks of MAGA-led marketing by the president-elect and his sons.
But then, like clockwork, Justin Sun showed up. On November 25, one of the most prominent crypto provocateurs pledged $30 million to save global freedom. The infusion of funds has flipped the script, ensuring that the Trump family will receive at least $15 million under terms set out in the project’s “golden leaf.”
Five days before the bailout, he spent $6.2 million for a banana that was plastered on the wall of a gallery at Sotheby’s, cementing his brand as an anarchic cryptocurrency showman. Meanwhile, he is still evading a lawsuit brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which accuses him of manipulating the price of TRON through fictitious transactions. Sun denies the accusations, but the drama has reinforced his reputation as the digital currency’s wild card.
Crypto Mogul Justin Sun Eats Banana Art That He Bought For $6.2 Million. pic.twitter.com/0EZUwKPJoI
-Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) November 29, 2024
Sun had another controversy early this year related to the DeFi project EigenLayer. After receiving $8.75 million from the project, he wasted no time flipping the coin and throwing everything at HTX once it was up and running. According to Spot On Chain, the overnight switch netted Sun a cool $22 million
Say what you want about Sun, but he plays an eccentric billionaire in the cryptocurrency space. With a bull market on the horizon in 2025, his next bragging trick is anyone’s guess.
#1 – Winner: Kneel before your new Emperor Michael Saylor
Step aside, Warren Buffet. This is the greatest investor of all time. While MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor has his faults, He had one clear idea and he was gone All in Bitcoin —No half measures.
The media mocked Saylor for buying it for $97,000 because it was only down 5%. They made fun of him again because he bought $88,000, the most he had ever bought. BTC is now $105,000. Kneel down for this man.
Saylor plays a big role in figuring out where Bitcoin will go next.
A few days ago, he gave a presentation to Microsoft’s board of directors about Bitcoin. Microsoft is sitting on $75 billion in cash. While they ultimately rejected the proposal, American companies began to take notice of Bitcoin.
With his speech, Saylor printed the best “I told you so” show in history. However, it’s not about this act, which he probably knew Microsoft was too cowardly to do, but the message is over.
One last bit of FUD about Michael Saylor: “Okay, but I don’t understand why I should buy Microstrategy when I can buy Bitcoin directly?”
For several reasons, the most famous of which are:
- Tax-exempt accounts
- No need to worry about custody (more transparent regulation)
- Leverage on leverage product? There are several reasons.
Honorable Mention: Donald Trump and His Crypto Cabinet
While Saylor is the Cryptocurrency Person of the Year, Trump can take credit for Bitcoin reaching $100,000. As can all the people who helped elect him
Paul Atkins is set to take over the SEC, thanks to Trump. Gary Gensler? outside. Elizabeth Warren? She was transformed into a crazy cat lady. Bitcoin will certainly reach 100k eventually, but not that fast.
And since we don’t want to keep you here for too long (yes, you can go back to staring at your investment portfolio), here’s a list of the incoming catalysts decided by this election:
- Incoming US President Donald Trump Bitcoin supporter. Owns BTC and ETH
- Incoming US Vice President J.D. Vance Bitcoin supporter. Own Bitcoin
- Incoming US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick Extremely pro-Bitcoin. Owns 5% of Tether (the company)
- Incoming SEC Chairman Paul Atkins Very pro-encryption. He has been a consultant for crypto projects
- Chairman of the US Federal Reserve (Yes, Jerome Powell) He said, “Bitcoin is like digital gold.“It is a direct competitor to gold, not the US dollar
- Russian President Vladimir Putin You just said that Bitcoin is unblockable (Russia tried that for a while) and that it is leading the way to a new financial era.
- Very impressive Shanghai court (Not the Mimi District Court) only ruled that owning Bitcoin is legal property, suggesting that China is abandoning its ban
- Bitcoin ETF It is the fastest-growing ETF category in history.
The next step is the widespread adoption of strategic Bitcoin reserves for companies and reserves for nation-states.
If Trump follows through on his biggest promises, cryptocurrencies could look forward to a future of unparalleled growth and disruption.
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