Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Crypto had an eventful 2021, and many standout figures helped the industry thrive.
- DeFi experts and NFT evangelists featured in our Heroes of the Year.
- Members of the U.S. Senate also defended the industry at a pivotal moment.
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Philanthropists, NFT evangelists, and DeFi experts all featured in this year’s top 10 crypto heroes round-up.
The Crypto Heroes of 2021
Let’s face it: 2021 was a good year to be in crypto. If you held the right coins, they went up—in some cases, by a lot. But aside from the life-changing returns many people made, this year had a bit of everything.
There was drama thanks to a series of multi-million dollar hacks, bad actors using insider information to profit, and major networks grinding to a halt. There was innovation in DeFi, and not only on Ethereum: this year, an explosion of activity on alternative Layer 1 networks strengthened the market’s belief in a multi-chain future. There were clear signs of mainstream adoption, helped mainly by the buzz and confusion surrounding NFTs. And, as with every previous bull run, there were harsh criticisms of the space from ill-informed onlookers. This year, it was regulators and anti-NFT “right click savers” who did their best to paddle against the crypto tidal wave.
On the other hand, there were those who surfed the wave and helped push the space forward. Some of this year’s most notable crypto proponents included key figures from the NFT space,…
