Bitcoin ($BTC ): Launched in 2009 by the elusive Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin became the first decentralized currency. Nakamoto vanished in 2010, leaving a legacy with 1 million BTC worth billions, secured by blockchain and Proof of Work.
Ethereum ($ETH ): Vitalik Buterin, at just 19, proposed Ethereum in 2013, introducing smart contracts in 2015. Now a hub for dApps and DeFi, it shifted to Proof of Stake in 2022, with Buterin still active in its community.
XRP (Ripple): Created by David Schwartz, Jed McCaleb, and Arthur Britto via Ripple Labs, XRP aims to revolutionize cross-border payments. McCaleb later founded Stellar, while Schwartz remains CTO.
Tether (USDT): Brock Pierce, Reeve Collins, and Craig Sellars launched this first stablecoin in 2014, pegged to the USD. Despite transparency critiques, USDT dominates trading and DeFi.
BNB (Binance Coin): Changpeng Zhao (CZ) founded BNB for Binance in 2017, evolving it into a utility token for the BNB Chain, supporting dApps and NFTs, cementing his global crypto influence.
Solana (SOL): Anatoly Yakovenko’s Solana, with its Proof of History mechanism, offers high-speed transactions, making it a favorite for gaming and DeFi, despite past technical hiccups.
USD Coin (USDC): Jeremy Allaire and Sean Neville, via Circle and Coinbase, created USDC in 2018 as a regulated stablecoin with transparent reserves, gaining trust from institutions.
Dogecoin (DOGE): Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer turned a meme into a coin in 2013, with Dogecoin gaining traction thanks to community support and Elon Musk’s backing.
Tron (TRX): Justin Sun founded Tron in 2017 to decentralize entertainment, hosting smart contracts and USDT, with bold moves like acquiring BitTorrent boosting his profile.
Cardano (ADA): Charles Hoskinson and Jeremy Wood, ex-Ethereum members, built Cardano on academic research, using Ouroboros Proof of Stake to address global challenges.
These founders have shaped the Web3 landscape, blending ambition with innovation, though their legacies face scrutiny amid market volatility and regulatory shifts.
