99Bitcoin’s Crypto Person of The Year 2024

Three heavyweights are vying for the most influential person in crypto this year, with each bringing their own brand of chaos – but who will win 99Bitcoin’s Crypto Person of the Year 2024?

Peter Todd, who some claim is Bitcoin’s elusive creator; Justin Sun, the polarizing face behind Tron; and Michael Saylor, the MicroStrategy mogul who bet billions on Bitcoin.

We often think of crypto people as internet schizos with too much time on their hands.  And maybe these guys are!

Call them what you want; these so-called eccentrics are shaping an industry that refuses to be ignored – but who has had the biggest impact this year?

#3 – Runner Up: Is Peter Todd Satoshi Nakamoto?

In the new HBO documentary ‘Money Electric,’ Peter Todd, a key Bitcoin developer, is identified as Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin.

The two-hour documentary initially frames Adam Back, the CEO of Blockstream and an early Bitcoin developer, as Satoshi. It’s all a ruse to blame Todd, who the film alleges may have accidentally continued a post as Satoshi Nakamoto on a forum using an alt account.

Look at that sentence below and tell us it’s not fishy…

The film suggests that Todd’s ideas flow seamlessly from Satoshi’s original comment (pictured above), echoing the same prose style. Todd also had a perfect alibi and excuse at the tip of his tongue when the interviewer mentioned this strange exchange.

You can read the direct evidence for yourself here.

There are reasons to doubt Todd is Satoshi:

1) Tech communities often exchange esoteric internet slang.

2) The film frames Todd’s response as “super technical” when anyone in the BTC community at the time could understand Satoshi’s point.

3) Many developers are extraordinarily talented, but their social shortcomings, like how they talk online, make them easy prey for the media.

Ultimately, this film is only good to show someone who is an absolute beginner to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.

It does not prove who Satoshi Nakamoto is beyond a shadow of a doubt.

#2 – Runner Up: Crypto Joker Justin Sun

Justin Sun, the protege of Alibaba’s Jack Ma, has become a crypto joker.

In his thesis, “The Birth of a Decentralized Internet,” Justin Sun explored blockchain’s potential before graduating from Hupan University in 2018. Before graduating, Justin Sun founded the Tron blockchain in 2017, a rival to Ethereum.

Say what you want about Sun, but he’s carving out a role as crypto’s eccentric billionaire-in-chief. With a bull market on the horizon in 2025, his next ostentatious stunt is anyone’s guess.

#1 – The Winner: Kneel Before Your New Emperor Michael Saylor

Move aside, Warren Buffet. This is the greatest investor of all time. While MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor has his faults, he had one clear idea and went all-in on Bitcoin—no half-measures. 

The media mocked Saylor for buying at $97k because it had a mere 5% drop. They mocked him again for buying at $88k, the largest quantity he’s ever bought. BTC is now $105,000. Kneel to this man.

Saylor plays a big part in figuring out where Bitcoin goes next.

A few days ago, he gave a presentation to Microsoft’s board of directors about Bitcoin. Microsoft is sitting on $75B in cash. While they ultimately turned down the proposal, corporate America is beginning to take notice of Bitcoin.

With his speech, Saylor printed the best “I told you so” presentation in history. Yet, it’s not about the act, which he probably knew Microsoft was too cowardly to do, but the message is out.

One last bit of FUD about Michael Saylor: “Ok, but I don’t get why I should buy Microstrategy when I can just buy Bitcoin directly?”

Several reasons, and the most popular, are:

• Tax-free accounts
• No worrying about custody (more transparent regulation)
• Leverage on a leveraged product? There are several reasons.

Honorable Mention: Donald Trump and His Crypto Cabinet

While Saylor is our Crypto Person of the Year, Trump can take credit for Bitcoin hitting $100k. As can all the people who helped get him elected

Paul Atkins is set to take charge of the SEC, courtesy of Trump. Gary Gensler? Out. Elizabeth Warren? Reduced to a crazy cat lady. Bitcoin would have reached 100k eventually, sure, but never this fast.

Since we don’t want to keep you here too long (yes, you can go back to staring at your portfolio), here’s a list of incoming catalysts that this election decided:

• Incoming US President Donald Trump is pro-Bitcoin. Owns BTC and ETH
• Incoming US Vice President JD Vance is pro-Bitcoin. Owns BTC
• Incoming US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is extremely pro-Bitcoin. Owns 5% of Tether (the company)
• Incoming SEC Chair Paul Atkins is extremely pro-crypto. Has been an advisor to crypto projects
• US Federal Reserve Chair (yes, Jerome Powell) said, “Bitcoin is like digital gold.“And that it is a direct competitor to gold rather than the USD
• Russian President Vladimir Putin just said that Bitcoin is un-bannable (Russia tried for a little while) and is leading the way to a new financial era.
• A very influential Shanghai court (not a meme court in the provinces) just ruled that Bitcoin is legal property to own, thereby signaling that China is giving up on its ban
• Bitcoin ETF is the fastest-growing ETF class in history.

Next up is the large-scale adoption of BTC strategic reserves for corporations and reserves for nation-states.

If Trump follows through on his grand promises, crypto could be staring down a future marked by unparalleled growth and upheaval.

EXPLORE: Solana Surpasses Ethereum as Top Ecosystem for New Developers in 2024

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