2020 Crypto Influencers: YFI developer Andre Cronje, former governor of the People's Bank of China Zhou Xiaochuan listed

The well-known cryptocurrency media CoinDesk recently selected 12 individuals whom they believe are the most influential figures of 2020. We have compiled the relevant information and reasons for their selection. Do you agree with their choices? Or do you think there are any notable omissions?

Balaji Srinivasan: Raising Awareness of the Pandemic in the US Crypto Community

CoinDesk chose Balaji Srinivasan for a simple reason. In January this year, when the US seemed indifferent to the COVID-19 pandemic, his background in bioengineering led him to voice concerns about the severity of the situation after reading relevant literature.

His connection to cryptocurrency lies in his previous roles as the CTO of Coinbase, a partner at a16z, and a co-founder of Earn.com, now working as an angel investor.

Zhou Xiaochuan: A Key Driver Behind China's Digital Currency DC/EP

Although many central banks around the world are evaluating CBDCs, only China has been actively implementing it. Amid the pandemic, with a focus on "contactless payments" and effective monetary policies, China has taken the lead in the development of its central bank digital currency.

CoinDesk notes that Zhou Xiaochuan, who served as the Governor of the People's Bank of China from 2002 to 2018, had a crucial impact on the development of CBDCs. Under his leadership, the People's Bank of China began planning for a CBDC in 2014. In 2017, he emphasized the importance of assisting in the development of digital currencies and blockchain while considering the risks, believing that financial technology could significantly alter the future of digital payments. By 2020, DC/EP had been piloted in four regions in China, partnering with e-commerce platforms to distribute digital yuan red packets.

You can learn more about Zhou Xiaochuan's thoughts from the following video: Video Link

Andre Cronje: Pioneering the DeFi Era

The historical impact of Yearn YFI in the cryptocurrency space is undeniable. Its creator, Andre Cronje, has become a significant figure in the community. In early 2020, Andre Cronje began developing automated strategies for the Yearn protocol, allowing stablecoins to be placed in high-yield lending protocols. He later expanded this project to enable everyone to utilize these strategies. The governance token YFI quickly surpassed Bitcoin's price in a remarkably short period.

In the latter half of 2020, Yearn actively integrated various DeFi platforms, including Pickle, Cream, SushiSwap, and Cover, fostering deeper collaboration and innovation within the DeFi ecosystem. Andre Cronje's innovative smart contract designs in DeFi have garnered significant attention.

Cathie Wood: Bullish on Blockchain Technology

ARK Invest focuses on disruptive innovation investments, and founder Cathie Wood's early bullish stance on Tesla has drawn much attention this year. Cathie Wood has identified five key investment areas: DNA sequencing, energy storage, robotics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain.

In September 2020, ARK Invest predicted that Bitcoin would reach a market value of three trillion dollars by 2025, with a price of $140,000, representing an 8.8x increase from the current price of $18,356.