CoinDesk selects the most influential figures of 2023, including the SEC Chairman and the CEO of Tether.

CoinDesk has released its list of influential figures for 2023, who have had a profound impact on the digital asset and Web3 space, both positive and negative. The list includes a total of 50 individuals. CoinDesk has minted NFTs on Ethereum for each of them, which are now up for auction on the platform. Bids will close within 24 hours once placed, and the holders will receive tickets to the 2024 Consensus summit.

Note: The CoinDesk list of 10 individuals is not ranked.

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Messari Founder Ryan Selkis

Ryan Selkis, the founder of blockchain research firm Messari, is gearing up for crypto regulation? He is running for senator in 2024, also a reason for being selected as CoinDesk's most influential of the year.

Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson

Franklin Templeton, from a small brokerage founded in 1947, has grown into a global fund company with over $1.3 trillion in assets.

Despite its 76-year history and being considered a traditional fund institution, CEO Jenny Johnson has recently emphasized the importance of blockchain technology in public appearances and, along with institutions like BlackRock, applied for a Bitcoin spot ETF.

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Lido DAO Liquidity Staking Protocol Lido DAO

Data shows that Lido is the protocol with the highest liquidity staking market share, reaching 31.94%.

However, such success has attracted criticism, with CoinDesk claiming it as the reason for its selection.

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Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino

Despite Tether's past scrutiny, CoinDesk points out that criticisms seem to only repeat suspicions from 2014 to date, while USDT's market cap continues to hit a historic high of $89.8 billion.

CoinDesk also emphasizes that Paolo Ardoino may be the hardest working person in the crypto field, contributing an average of 2-3 code submissions per day on GitHub this year, even though being a former CTO and current CEO, and submitting 37,720 times in 2017.

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PayPal VP of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Affairs Jose Fernandez da Ponte

In August this year, PayPal launched the Ethereum-based USD stablecoin PYUSD, led by Jose Fernandez da Ponte. However, adoption seems slow, with a market cap of approximately $158 million, ranking 253rd, and stablecoin ranking 13th.

Stablecoin PYUSD first discloses reserve proof, backed by US bonds, current applications mostly within PayPal's ecosystem

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler

CoinDesk questions whether the criticism towards Gary Gensler in the crypto field is excessive? Several interviewees point out that cryptocurrencies are just the tip of the iceberg in SEC's regulatory business, as in 2023 alone, the SEC issued proposed rules involving privacy law, cybersecurity, conflicts of interest, climate disclosure, and beneficial ownership.

CoinDesk also notes that Gensler seems clear on how to regulate crypto exchanges:

Coinbase Co-Founder Brian Armstrong

With SBF in jail, CZ stepping down from Binance, Brian Armstrong seems to be the only influential figure navigating regulatory challenges.

In addition to launching the L2 chain Base and a global derivatives exchange, many Bitcoin spot ETF issuers are partnering with Coinbase. CoinDesk believes Coinbase seems prepared for the next wave.

OpenAI Co-Founder Sam Altman

From ChatGPT to Worldcoin, Sam Altman has changed everything in 2023.

CoinDesk states that even if Altman never works again, he is enough to be considered the most influential person in Web3, crypto, and even globally in 2023, as his AI products have changed the world.

Sam Altman recently experienced a brief personnel change, and the specific details may take some time to emerge.

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Ripple Co-Founder Brad Garlinghouse

At a celebration party in September this year, Brad Garlinghouse mentioned that not only was Ripple sued by the SEC on Christmas Eve 2020, but he and co-founder Chris Larsen were also sued.

Over the next two and a half years, Ripple was forced to spend $150 million on legal proceedings, hindering XRP's ecosystem growth and coin price, according to him.

However, the SEC's setbacks in the lawsuit seem to have made Ripple a hero in the crypto field, despite ongoing doubts about executive dumping and centralization.

After reading the XRP court documents, a detailed explanation of why XRP and the crypto circle have not escaped securities risks