As we look back over yet another fascinating year for bitcoin, it’s natural to assess the individuals that helped influence the industry. This year, of course, it’s not just about bitcoin anymore: the technology underlying bitcoin, the blockchain , has taken own a life of its own, with institutional interest in blockchains almost reaching a frenzy. In a development that would have seemed almost impossible a year ago, banks and major financial institutions are starting up blockchain projects to probe the possibilities of the technology.
The industry needs influencers to point the way on technical or regulatory issues, to build awareness, to dream up revolutionary new solutions to serious global problems and to build elegant new enterprises to take this exciting emerging tech to the masses.
We had our own ideas as to who those people were in 2015 and we also asked you, the public, to give us your opinions in our reader poll .
For this year’s top 10 list , we took into account the year’s biggest events, the nominees’ individual contributions to the community and the results of our poll.
So, who reached the top 10 this year? Read on to find out… 10. Bobby Lee
Bobby Lee at Bitcoin 2014 The CEO of Shanghai-based bitcoin exchange BTCC (previously BTC China), Lee has been influential in helping bridge east-west divide in the bitcoin community.
Lee often appears at conferences and recently played a significant part in the ongoing scalability debate , translating and moderating at the Scaling Bitcoin Workshop to ensure China-based miners could talk to Western developers.
His prominence is such that he can make headlines as easily as anyone in the bitcoin space, and his popularity with the community saw him voted to the Bitcoin Foundation’s Board of Directors. 9. Blythe Masters blythe masters There has been a lot […]
