Crypto Leaders Dominate Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Finance for 2025

Crypto and blockchain innovators continue to shine in the financial world, with nearly a third of the spots in Forbes’ 2025 “30 Under 30” finance category claimed by young entrepreneurs in the industry. The prestigious annual list, unveiled on December 4, featured 14 crypto founders from nine companies, reflecting the sector’s increasing influence and innovation.

The lineup includes 10 men and 4 women, showcasing talent from various corners of the crypto ecosystem. Among the most notable entries is Shayne Coplan, the 26-year-old founder of Polymarket, a decentralized betting platform that gained attention for accurately predicting the outcome of the U.S. presidential election despite contrary traditional polling. Coplan’s story also includes a controversial FBI raid, which his platform attributed to political retribution by the outgoing Biden administration.

Rising Stars from DEXs and AI

Decentralized exchange (DEX) founders were well-represented, signaling the growing importance of DEX platforms in the financial landscape. Ostium Labs co-founders Kaledora Kiernan-Linna and Marco Antonio Ribeiro shared recognition with Sunny Aggarwal and Dev Ojha, the founders of Osmosis. Cindy Leow, co-founder of Drift Labs, also made the list.

Notably, the convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology found its spotlight. The trio behind Cortex Labs—Soroush Ghodsi Boushehri, Stefan Stokic, and Jake Sylvestre—were recognized for their AI-capable blockchain innovations. Similarly, Tux Pacific, founder of Entropy, a platform for on-chain AI agents, earned a place among the year’s brightest young minds.

Other noteworthy honorees include Omni Network co-founders Austin King and Tyler Tarsi, whose multichain decentralized app protocol is gaining traction. Additionally, Uma Roy of Succinct, focused on zero-knowledge proof programming, and Jason Zhao of Story, an intellectual property tokenization platform, rounded out the crypto cohort.

A Consistent Showing Amid a Mixed Legacy

This year’s performance matches the crypto industry’s presence in the 2024 list, maintaining a steady influence in the finance category. However, it falls short of the industry’s 2021 peak, when 21 blockchain leaders were recognized, including now-disgraced figures like Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison.

Despite the shadow cast by past scandals, the achievements of this year’s young crypto leaders highlight the industry’s resilience and innovation.

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