.png)
Those with the power to influence many followers can shape the way we think, shape the decisions we make, and especially shape the way we allocate our money. Although Twitter has recently faced some controversy within the Bitcoin community over censorship, it is still the dominant social media platform for discussions on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Below is a list of the most influential people on Bitcoin Twitter and what they are contributing to the growing community:
1. Jack Dorsey
Number of Followers: 4.9 Million
About: At an early age, Jack Dorsey created an open-source dispatch routing software that is still used by some taxicab companies. The software made the logistics for assigning employees and vehicles to customers more efficiently. After delving into a number of other projects, Dorsey became enamored with the idea of statuses being broadcasted on the web in real time. This idea eventually developed into today’s version of Twitter, where millions of users are able to share their ideas and opinions instantly with their audience.
Bitcoin Work: In a number of interviews, Dorsey has likened Bitcoin as the “native” internet currency that will eventually be used by everyone, or at the very least have a substantial number of users. He started a number of initiatives to build infrastructure to make Bitcoin more accessible through Square's subsidiary, Cash App. Square has also provided grants for Bitcoin Core developers and has recently set aside a portion of its cash position to be stored in Bitcoin. Dorsey is arguably the most influential figure to continue bringing awareness to Bitcoin because of his CEO position at Twitter, which has about 330 million monthly active users at the time of this writing.
“Bitcoin is resilient. Bitcoin is principled. Bitcoin is native to internet ideals. And it’s a great brand.”
Source: Twitter
2. Nick Szabo
Number of Followers: 248.5K
Twitter: @nickszabo4
About: Nick Szabo received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a law degree from George Washington Law School. He is highly regarded for his work in Bit Gold, which is considered to be the precursor for what Bitcoin is today. His proposal for the digital currency would include the mechanism of using computing power to solve complex puzzles. Once these cryptographic puzzles were solved, there would need to be a consensus among the participating computers to award the solver and move onto the next puzzle. Szabo was able to lay the groundwork for Bitcoin’s proof of work algorithm, where it becomes more costly to participate in the network as more miners devote their computing power and resources toward mining Bitcoin.
Bitcoin Work: Szabo has spent a great deal of time researching and developing smart contracts. A smart contract is a digital contract that is programmed with specific terms and conditions. When the terms and conditions are met, the contract executes the operation that it was programmed to carry out without the need of human intervention.
Bitcoin is to protect your wealth, bitcoin (layer 2) is for the coffee.”
Source: Twitter
3. Jameson Lopp
Number of Followers: 234.8K
Twitter: @lopp
About: Like many in the space, Jameson Lopp is a very private individual with very little information of his personal life available on the internet. He has stated in interviews that he graduated in the early 2000s and considers himself a computer scientist by trade. During the first decade of his career, he worked with an online marketing company to analyze user data. Lopp went full time into the Bitcoin space by building the infrastructure for BitGo, which is an enterprise multisig security company that powers a lot of exchanges and other services.
Bitcoin Work: Lopp has been involved with numerous projects devoted to multisignature solutions that are geared towards an individual’s Bitcoin storage, rather than their institutional storage. After leaving BitGo, he co-founded Casa and holds the CTO position at the company. Lopp has also written over a hundred articles on topics ranging from setting up a node to whether or not centralization can occur within Bitcoin.
“Bitcoin isn't a get rich quick scheme, it's a don't get poor slowly scheme.”
Source: Twitter
4. Barry Silbert
Number of Followers: 219.9K
Twitter: @barrysilbert
About: Barry Silbert began buying Bitcoin in 2012 and has continued doing so with great success. He saw the potential of Bitcoin at a time when there was a lot of uncertainty about whether or not it would survive.
Bitcoin Work: In 2015, Silbert founded the Digital Currency Group which provides services to help clients and large entities gain exposure from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Unlike an exchange where individuals have the ability to withdraw their Bitcoin, Digital Currency Group custodies all Bitcoin and allows clients to buy and sell shares that are tied to the company’s Bitcoin holdings. As the CEO of both companies, Silbert continues to run the Digital Currency Group along with Grayscale Investments. With Grayscale’s 465,000 Bitcoin, Silbert is certainly a very influential figure within the traditional finance markets because of his first mover advantage, where he offered BTC exposure to those who do not want to custody their own Bitcoin.
“Once Wall Street starts putting money into Bitcoin - we're talking about hundreds of millions, billions of dollars moving in - it's going to have a pretty dramatic effect on the price.”
Source: Entrepreneur.com
5. Anthony Pompliano
Number of Followers: 383.6K
Twitter: @APompliano
About: After high school, Anthony Pompliano joined the US Army for 6 years and did a tour in Iraq from 2008 to 2009. He later joined Snapchat’s Growth department and was hired at Facebook to apply his skills in the user growth division. Pompliano then moved on to become a managing partner at Full Tilt Capital and eventually a co-founder and partner for Morgan Creek Digital Assets.
Bitcoin Work: Pompliano has become a very well known educator, not only in the Bitcoin space but in the equity and investment community as well. His podcast covers a range of business topics and investments outside of the crypto space. The Pomp Podcast has educated a good number of people who may not have been exposed to Bitcoin prior to listening. His number of followers continues to grow and more people are subscribing to his daily newsletter during these uncertain times.
“People used to use seashells as money. We can’t help but think how primitive that was. Today we use paper as money. Eventually people will wonder how we could have been so primitive.”
Source: Twitter
