As of mid-February 2026, the richest person in cryptocurrency — based on net worth primarily derived from crypto-related ventures like exchanges, tokens, or holdings — is Changpeng Zhao (#CZ ), the founder and former CEO of Binance.
Recent estimates place his net worth in the range of $78–88 billion (with sources varying due to market fluctuations and private valuations):
Forbes (early February 2026) estimated his net worth at around $78.8 billion after a crypto market dip, noting him as crypto's richest despite losses of ~$29 billion from the October 2025 peak.
Other reports (e.g., WazirX, Bitget, Analytics Insight) cite figures up to $82–88 billion, largely from his majority stake in Binance (the world's largest crypto exchange) and holdings in BNB and Bitcoin.
Bloomberg's Billionaires Index had him around $53–60 billion in some snapshots, but the broader consensus from Forbes and industry trackers keeps him well above others in the sector.
This makes CZ far ahead of other prominent crypto figures, even amid recent market corrections.
Key Comparisons (approximate net worths from early 2026 sources):
Giancarlo Devasini (Tether executive) — ~$22 billion
Brian Armstrong (Coinbase CEO) — ~$7.5–12.7 billion (dropped significantly in the recent crypto slide, falling off some global top-500 lists)
Chris Larsen (Ripple co-founder) — ~$10 billion range
Michael Saylor (MicroStrategy/Bitcoin advocate) — ~$4–9 billion
If considering pure on-chain/identified crypto holdings (not company equity), Satoshi Nakamoto tops lists with ~1.1 million BTC valued at $75–100 billion (depending on BTC price), but Satoshi is anonymous/presumed inactive and not a "person" in the active billionaire sense.
CZ's wealth is tied to Binance's dominance, though he's faced regulatory issues (including past imprisonment). Crypto fortunes remain volatile — a market rebound or dip could quickly shift numbers.