Most Influential 2021: Charles Hoskinson
Cardano’s founder brought smart contracts to one of the largest “Ethereum killers” this year.

Just like his co-founder Gavin Wood, Charles Hoskinson went on to do his own thing after developing Ethereum. With Cardano, which hit an all-time high in August this year and currently stands at a $44 billion market capitalization, Hoskinson aimed to develop a more scalable, secure and efficient alternative to Ethereum. Cardano was at some point the “third coin” in cryptocurrency, the rotating coin that is the third biggest by market capitalization after bitcoin and ethereum and thus, in some respects, the one that competes most closely with them.
The Complete List: CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2021
Ardana, a stablecoin and lending hub built on Cardano, recently raised $10 million to build a cross-chain bridge between Cardano and Near protocol. But Hoskinson’s greatest accomplishment might be bringing smart contract functionality to Cardano.

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
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Deus X CEO Tim Grant: We aren't replacing finance; we're integrating it

The Deus X CEO discussed his journey into digital assets, the company's infrastructure-led growth strategy, and why his Consensus Hong Kong panel promises "real talk only."
What to know:
- Tim Grant entered crypto in 2015 after early exposure to Ripple and Coinbase, drawn by blockchain’s ability to improve traditional finance rather than replace it.
- Deus X combines investing and operating to build regulated digital finance infrastructure across payments, prime services, and institutional DeFi.
- Grant will be speaking at Consensus Hong Kong in February.












