Cointelegraph 2023 Top 100 finale: First place goes to...

Who takes the cake as the prime mover of the crypto and blockchain sector for 2023? The answer is more of a “what” than a “who.” Good Ol‘ Bitcoin, the industry’s pioneer cryptocurrency, sits atop the list as the most impactful player in the space on the Cointelegraph Top 100. 

Bitcoin (BTC) was created following the 2008 global financial crisis with the goal of doing things differently — in a decentralized fashion requiring less trust than traditional finance. But the cycle has made a full circle, and global financial trouble has once again reared its head, begging the question of whether the current economic uncertainty will take Bitcoin into the mainstream.

DISCOVER COINTELEGRAPH’S TOP 100 IN CRYPTO AND BLOCKCHAIN 2023

The industry has grown since Bitcoin was first launched in 2009, with countless assets, concepts, products and companies emerging in the years since. But the original cryptocurrency has stood the test of time and only become more prominent, despite the years of ups and downs. It has refused to die, driven by its decentralization and the community’s trust.

Coming out of 2021 — a year of all-time highs — Bitcoin’s price had a difficult 2022, falling from above $47,000 to below $17,000. However, the world at large also faced a challenging year, with mainstream financial markets suffering as well. Additionally, the broader crypto space took numerous blows amid a difficult bear market that witnessed the collapse of multiple entities. But Bitcoin is still moving forward in 2023, proving it will take more than than a bear market and global troubles to slow its progress.

Since the start of February, Cointelegraph has, bit by bit, been releasing its 2023 Top 100 list of the heroes and villains that most drove the crypto and blockchain sector in 2022 and will likely continue doing so in the year ahead. The list includes profiles for an array of industry players, including artificial intelligence at No. 93, Terraform Labs co-founder and CEO Do Kwon at No. 81, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at No. 69, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin at No. 2, and many others.

So, what will the year ahead have in store for Bitcoin and the rest of those comprising Cointelegraph’s 2023 Top 100? It’s up to the heroes and villains now, so take a look at their profiles and discuss what their futures may hold!