What started as a minor sect seeking to introduce a financial revival has suddenly emerged as an industry of global acknowledgment.
While their representation (which owns less than 37% of crypto) still pales in comparison to men (who hold 63% of crypto), their contribution is remarkable and currently makes a world of difference. Women make up the bulk of the employees at crypto companies such as Chainalysis, Circle, Elliptic, Coinbase, and BitOasis. Here’s our list in no particular order.
1) Cathie Wood
Cathie Wood emerged as one of the biggest tech entrepreneurs of the year. Wood managed portfolios for several hedge funds before starting ARK Investment Management in 2014. The American investment company oversees assets held by investors totaling more than $6 billion as of January 2023.
Check out @ARKInvest’s update of the performance of open source vs closed #AI models. Open source LLM models still are gaining ground, though the dispersion is increasing. Thanks @downingARK and @JozefARK for keeping us up to date on the most important tech race in history! https://t.co/hiikHFJYwr
— Cathie Wood (@CathieDWood) December 14, 2023
Wood was one of the standout crypto CEOs during the worst moments of the crypto winter, making smart predictions and profitable purchases. Her gamble on Coinbase was one of her biggest achievements.
Wood purchased Coinbase stock despite ongoing litigation about the company’s staking-as-a-service program filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). To her credit, Wood bought about three million shares at an average price of $59 per share during the first and second quarters of 2023.
After the SEC’s charges were made public, Coinbase’s price fell by almost 20%. Interestingly, ARK bought more shares of the company. ARK recently sold some of its shares at the price of Coinbase shares skyrocketed.
2) Elizabeth Stark
With more than ten years of expertise, Elizabeth Stark is considered one of the most prominent women entrepreneurs in the cryptocurrency sector. She is best known for Lighting Labs, a company dedicated to creating layer-two Bitcoin solutions that are quicker, less expensive, and more widespread.
My talk on @lightning and why Layer 2 will be the HTTP of bitcoin and blockchains is out!⚡️ https://t.co/QFSzYnUi7J @BlockstackOrg
— elizabeth stark 🍠 (@starkness) August 12, 2017
Furthermore, Stark is a strong supporter of an open internet and has contributed to the Bitcoin community by serving as an advisor to several crypto start-ups.
3) Tiffany Fong
Tiffany Fong was one of the key sources for arguably the biggest crypto case of the year: the Bankman-Fried lawsuit. Fong rose to prominence thanks to leaked information about Celsius and FTX. Bankman-Fried reportedly got in touch with Fong during the Celsius storm.
Recapping FTX's NEW Reorganization Plan & chatting about "crimey" things w/ creditor @LouisOrigny ! pic.twitter.com/5L9Eg79WTF
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) December 18, 2023
Following a series of texts, Fong performed a non-journalistic telephone conversation that she subsequently made public. SBF would confess to Fong—along with other contentious remarks—that he had secretly donated to the US Republican Party, which would have alarmed all of the “super liberal” media.
4) Pallavi Gupta
Pallavi Gupta is the Chief Operating Officer at Altcoin Buzz, where she has played a key role in shaping crypto development over the last years. Furthermore, Pallavi has a huge passion for Web3 games and is the co-founder of Fungible Games.
✨ Brace yourselves, Axie enthusiasts! Your Axies are about to transcend limits! 🚀🔥 @SkyMavisHQ just dropped the bombshell – introducing @AxieInfinity Part Evolutions! 🎮🔝 https://t.co/YrC0ETJTcc
💪 Don't miss out on the epic Race to Evolution Challenge! 🏆 Do share a…
— Funjible Games (@FunjibleGames) December 21, 2023
Fungible Games is one of the biggest platforms for Web3 game reviews. Blockchain gaming has a long way to go. This platform had several high moments in 2023, helping game lovers access worthwhile projects.
5) Hester Pierce
Hester Pierce was one of the biggest voices advocating for crypto this year. She stood strongly in opposition to the SEC’s attacks on the industry and major projects. Pierce rejected Gary Gensler’s manhunt of the crypto industry and regularly called for better regulations.
The SEC exhibits hostility toward technology and disclosure in a new rule proposal: https://t.co/B24FhidaWu Here's my initial take: https://t.co/oFExcBD59u and
— Hester Peirce (@HesterPeirce) July 26, 2023
There are other names not on this list but equally making a difference in crypto. The role of these female leaders is remarkable and adds more excitement to the future.
