Thousands of crypto influencers have come and gone over the years, but a small percentage have remained, continuing to provide us with insightful and relevant knowledge.
Since I started crypto investing in 2017, I have greatly benefited from their evaluation of various crypto, macroeconomic, and social trends.
In return, I want to acknowledge some of this sector’s most valuable content creators.
I will divide this piece into four sections:
– Video streaming services (mostly YouTube)
– Podcasts
– Writing platforms (focusing on Medium)
– Social media (predominantly X/Twitter)
Video streaming
Coin Bureau
With over 1,300 consistently high-quality videos, it’s no surprise this is the most popular crypto channel on the Internet. Since launching in June 2019, it has racked up over 2.6 million YouTube subscribers.
This is, by far and large, the most well-researched crypto and blockchain-tech content published on YouTube. Its technical information is broken down into layperson terms (as best as possible), with useful analogies and relevant stats to help the audience understand the video’s topic(s) as best as possible.
Guy Turner has been the channel’s main presenter since its inception, featuring in almost every video. Over the past 12 months, he’s been joined by Coin Bureau’s CEO and Co-Founder, Nic Puckrin, who hails from TradFi and previously worked at Goldman Sachs.
I enjoy having both of them as Nic adds another well-informed perspective, especially during their weekly live streams, which supplement their regular videos (about five each week).
What’s refreshing is their rational, articulate approach, i.e., none of the sensationalist BS and intense delivery of some crypto commentators in this space, ones that become insufferable after a while.
Most viewers/listeners also appreciate the ad-free experience on their videos, which is a noble move considering that most channels (including large ones) still run ads on YouTube. Instead, they’ve opted for unique and quirky in-house promos for their Coin Bureau deals page.
Tony Edward (Thinking Crypto)
I appreciate Tony’s honest assessment of crypto news, projects, and macroeconomic trends. He takes a level-headed approach, emphasising the need to stick to the facts rather than get carried away with emotions.
Some might see him as more risk-averse as he tends to stick to blue-chip cryptos, but he is following the big money.
He offers an excellent mix of crypto news and interviews with influential people in crypto and finance, including:
– Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse
– Ripple CTO David Schwarz
– Founder and key spokesperson of Cardano, Charles Hoskinson
– Former hedge-fund manager and entrepreneur Raoul Pal
– Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
– US SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce (sharing her personal views FYI across multiple interviews)
In April 2024, he published his book, (Re)Thinking Crypto: The Crash of FTX and the Rise of Safer, Stronger Digital Assets.
Lark Davis
A true crypto veteran who’s been in this space since the early days of Bitcoin, his excellent variety of short to medium-length content (many around the 10 to 12-minute mark per video) and YouTube shorts provide something for everyone.
Since July 2017, he has made nearly 4,000 videos and is well-versed in crypto: tutorials, altcoin reviews, important trends, daily news, etc. He’s covered the A to Z of this industry.
I haven’t listened to much of his material recently, but I’ve always enjoyed his well-researched insights.
Here are his YouTube and X/Twitter pages.
TMI/Money Rules – Investing Tips
The Modern Investor (TMI) has been one of the longest-lasting crypto YouTubers, pumping out near-daily content since 2016.
He was one of the first crypto commentators I encountered in 2017 and the only one I’ve continuously listened to since then.
After 3,100 videos and 240,000 YT subscribers to his name, he’s still going strong, spreading the good word about Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and a handful of other cryptos.
The vast majority of the news and opinions he covers focus on the largest assets, mostly BTC.
I previously had him further up the list, but his material is too repetitive, especially regarding Bitcoin.
Moreover, he frequently gets sidetracked, which might provoke the ire of some listeners, and he tends to speak slower than usual, so I set the playback speed to 1.3x. To his credit, he does have some interesting and relevant anecdotes, but I digress.
However, he makes up for it with his newer channel, Money Rules – Investing Tips, where he presents the details much faster with far fewer distractions.
He’s still worthy of featuring here because his information is valuable overall, and I appreciate his unwavering passion for and commitment to this space, even amid the brutal bear markets.
Ivan on Tech
He remains one of my favourite crypto commentators and probably the most entertaining one on this list.
He taps into the community sentiment and will also cover (but not focus on) the trending coins/tokens, themes, and relevant news.
Despite the light-hearted nature of his live streams, he has plenty of first-hand knowledge and (over a decade of) experience in crypto and blockchain tech, as well as a programming background.
Moreover, he also covers hidden gems, emerging tokens/projects to follow, and information on his affiliated service, Moralis. I frequently feature tokens’ security scores derived from Moralis’ (and DEXTools’) analytics, so much useful data is available through Ivan’s channel and the analytics platform.
Occasionally, he collaborates with other commentators, such as CTO Larsson and Investanswers.
Notable mention: Paul Barron Network
Barron’s daily videos (sometimes twice daily) via his Tech Path show cover all things crypto, tech, and AI.
He also interviews notable financial figures, chatting with Mark Yusko earlier this week about Trump, BlackRock, and tokenisation.
https://www.youtube.com/@PaulBarronNetwork
He has adopted a news-anchor delivery style and provides well-researched, informative, balanced views.
Barron is one of the few crypto-focused channels on YouTube to hit the one million subscriber milestone.
I only discovered Paul’s work a few days ago, so I don’t have any long-term first-hand analysis of his work. I am impressed with what I’ve seen so far.
Wildcard: Altcoin Daily
The Arnold brothers have been two of the most influential crypto YouTubers for several years.
So why am I including them here towards the end when they’ve created the largest crypto YouTube channels?
Their content doesn’t resonate with me as much as it used to. I also find some of their videos a bit sensationalist and too emotional.
Examples? This memorable one mentions “Cardano DECLARES WAR on ETH” in its title.
Or “Donald Trump STABS Crypto In The Back ALREADY?!”
This was published on the day of his inauguration. I don’t like jumping to conclusions, especially not this soon.
I have no idea what happened, but something’s changed, and many people no longer like their content (see the likes to dislikes ratio and comments in some of their videos to give you an idea).
They still release good videos, but it’s hit-and-miss.
You be the judge. Moving onto the next category, podcasters.
Podcasters
Anthony Pompliano
A seasoned veteran of this industry, he has interviewed some of the biggest names in Bitcoin, crypto and finance via The Pomp Podcast.
With over 130 million YouTube views, and I imagine a similar number of streams on Spotify, he has interviewed some of the biggest names in the space, including:
— Chamath Palihapitiya
— Mark Cuban
— Anthony Scaramucci
— Michael Saylor
Beyond crypto and finance, he’s also interviewed Andrew Tate (his most popular episode), geopolitical analyst Peter Zeihan, and author, podcaster and comedian Konstantin Kisin.
Pompliano has also had some verbal sparring contests with gold bug Peter Schiff over the years concerning Bitcoin. Despite their disagreements, they remain on good terms, with Schiff appearing on Pomp’s show here and there.
He has previously worked at Morgan Creek Capital Management alongside its CEO and Chief Investment Officer, Mark Yusko, who has been interviewed various times by multiple people in this space.
He is currently the Founder & CEO of Professional Capital Management.
Laura Shin
Shin has made valuable contributions to this industry for almost a decade, primarily through her interviews and information disseminated through her Unchained podcast.
In addition to this medium, she has also published a book, The Cryptopians, documenting the stories of key industry figures and their endeavours to make this industry mainstream.
She also writes for Forbes magazine and used to write on Medium. Even though he hasn’t written content here since March 2022, her articles are still visible.
To learn more about her work, check out her website.
Raoul Pal
Crypto and AI feature prominently in Raoul Pal’s podcast, The Journey Man.
He has also been interviewed by many of the above-mentioned crypto commentators and remains one of the most enthusiastic crypto investors from the economics community.
He’s also the co-founder and CEO of Real Vision Group, which provides comprehensive insights into financial markets and macroeconomics. Check out its website and YouTube channel, which have videos covering Bitcoin, crypto, and blockchain tech.
Last month, I wrote an article exploring Pal’s opinions on the looming ‘Economic Singularity’ and the rise of AI.
https://medium.com/@cryptowithlorenzo/we-have-six-years-to-unf-ck-our-future-3397281a7700
Notable mention: Peter McCormack
Until the end of July 2024, Peter McCormack ran What Bitcoin Did, interviewing people heavily involved in Bitcoin, specifically focusing on its blockchain and BTC, no other digital assets.
Since then, he has handed the reins to Danny Knowles, who worked alongside McCormack for most of WBD’s history.
Since moving to his eponymous program, The Peter McCormack Show, he has broadened the subject matter by bringing in renowned guests from various walks of life: politics, social commentary, comedy, economics, and his other passion, football/soccer.
He is the owner and Chairman of Real Bedford F.C. (est. Block 712003), where he also raised awareness of Bitcoin through his club.
His guests provided excellent insights into the flagship cryptocurrency, and Peter is a great interviewer.
The only reason I’ve listed him towards the end is that he’s dismissive of altcoins, constantly referring to them as sh*tcoins.
You won’t be fond of his view of altcoins when he covers digital assets unless you’re also 99% focused on BTC, i.e., a Bitcoin maxi.
To his defence, he has opened up (albeit marginally) about other chains (mostly Ethereum, from what I’ve gathered) that can securely and reliably host (USD) stablecoins.
“I wouldn’t say I’m entirely a Bitcoin maximalist in that, on the other protocols, we have seen a more advanced development of dollar stablecoins. Having travelled around the world, visiting places like Argentina and Venezuela, I’ve seen the power of having a digital Dollar…on a less decentralised Network than Bitcoin.”
Peter McCormack, interview with The Spectator, 25 January 2025
Even though I disagree with his stance on various altcoins, it doesn’t undo his work promoting Bitcoin and educating people about it.
Social media
Besides those I featured earlier, here are some other crypto commentators to follow on X/Twitter:
PlanB
Famous for analysing Bitcoin’s stock-to-flow (S2F) charts and is the self-proclaimed creator of the S2F model (for Bitcoin).
Here is his official website.
Vitalik Buterin
https://x.com/VitalikButerin
Michaël van de Poppe
https://x.com/CryptoMichNL
Lady of Crypto
Fred Krueger
Crypto Rover
https://x.com/rovercrc
Crypto Eri
A renowned long-term contributor to this space, particularly with Ripple news and XRP updates.
https://x.com/sentosumosaba
https://www.youtube.com/user/erichanintokyo
Crypto Casey
I mostly know her for the many years of crypto news and educational work she’s done on YouTube.
https://x.com/cryptocasey
https://www.youtube.com/@CryptoCasey
Samson Mao
Jack the Rippler
Besides the memorable name, he has been an active contributor to the XRP community since 2017, with over
EllioTrades
He also has a YouTube channel and comprehensive crypto trading knowledge, delving into crypto market trends.
N.B. I have not mentioned those who feature on TikTok, Instagram, and other popular outlets because I am not on these. Beware of anyone who tries impersonating me on these or even on Medium. I encourage you to swiftly report them.
Writers
I will focus on active writers on Medium, many of which are also available on Substack and their own websites (if applicable).
To those of you that I feature in this section, I’m here to spread the good word to others and reinforce the importance of seeking information from a handful of helpful resources. Thank you for your contribution to this space.
Most of these writers also discuss topics besides crypto, much of which I find very insightful and thought-provoking; there’s a lot to take in.
Tom Handy
Jayden Levitt
Stephen Dalton
Johnwege
https://medium.com/@johnwege
Alertforalpha
https://medium.com/@alertforalpha
Scott Debevic
Neo77
Keep up all the great work you do to promote this space and educate our crypto community.
https://medium.com/crypto-insights-au/best-crypto-commentators-to-follow-and-avoid-2806552ff99
Concluding thoughts
Several crypto analysts featured throughout this also have newsletters worth following and other helpful resources.
There are many others I should have acknowledged here; apologies in advance.
On the contrary, I have deliberately left out some high-profile characters that, in my opinion, tarnish this space.
Who are your preferred crypto commentators, writers, podcasters and influential people in this space? Comment below.
Disclaimers
- The opinions expressed within this piece are my own and might not reflect those behind any news outlet, person, organisation, or otherwise listed here.
- N.B. None of this is financial advice; I am not a financial advisor. You are ultimately responsible for crypto investments, let alone in any asset class.
- Please do sufficient research before investing in any crypto assets, staking, NFTs or anything promoted by these people and organisations, let alone other products affiliated with this space.
- Information is correct at the time of writing.
Featured image by DC Studio at Shutterstock.
This piece was originally posted on Medium on January 28, 2025.
Ways to Support My Crypto Writing – Promotions and Affiliate Links