Bloomberg 2023 Cryptocurrency Rich List | Changpeng Zhao leads the way with $37 billion, Coinbase stock price rises 400%, founders per capita are on the list

On December 26, Bloomberg selected the billionaires with the most significant wealth growth in the cryptocurrency industry in 2023 based on its Billionaire Index. In this list, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) stands out as the biggest winner. His fortune has surged by $25 billion so far this year, bringing his current estimated worth to more than $37 billion.

Wealth valuation does not include CZ’s personal holdings of digital assets

CZ resigned as CEO in November amid a historic settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Since then, his wealth has grown to more than $25 billion so far this year, a figure that is more than five times the $4.3 billion fine Binance agreed to pay to U.S. authorities.

Currently, CZ is worth an estimated $37 billion, ranking 37th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Nonetheless, this figure is still far from the peak of nearly $97 billion in early 2022, and is also lower than the year's high of $50.4 billion set in July. Bloomberg’s valuation of CZ’s wealth is mainly based on his equity in Binance, and does not include his holdings of Bitcoin, Binance platform currency BNB and other cryptocurrencies. If the value of these cryptocurrencies is included, CZ’s wealth growth will be even more significant.