Women kicking ass in crypto in 2024

Crypto markets are in a bull cycle due to growing institutional adoption and bullishness in the United States. Once seen as a fringe asset, Bitcoin (BTC) has now been embraced by major financial players.

Women are central to this change, leading startups, shaping policy, creating educational content, drafting research reports, and more, helping mainstream cryptocurrencies gain acceptance.

Crypto is a male-dominated industry as it is rooted in technology and finance – traditionally male-dominated fields. However, the novel sector represents a new and innovative evolution of these industries. Crypto is now attracting more women, which provides a unique opportunity to address the gender imbalance in technology and finance.

Crypto has long been criticized for its “bro” culture, but as the sector has grown, it has become more balanced, with women increasingly taking the lead and outnumbering men in some areas.

In the year A July 29 report from crypto hedge fund Pantera Capital revealed that women are starting to outpace men in the industry, which is different from trends in other sectors.

“Relatively fair wages in crypto suggest a move towards greater gender equality, indicating growth in this fairly new field,” the report said.

The gender pay gap may have changed in the crypto sector, but women are rarely represented in high-level positions, highlighting the persistent glass ceiling in the industry.

Despite this, women have taken the opportunity to jump into the crypto gold rush, and their efforts are making significant contributions in various sectors and achievements in the crypto industry.

Senator Cynthia Lammis: Pro-Bitcoin Legislator

Cynthia Lammis, a United States senator from Wyoming, has become a key figure in the crypto industry, primarily through her advocacy in favor of transparent, balanced crypto regulations.

Lummis invested in Bitcoin in 2013. Her deep understanding of digital assets and as Wyoming Treasurer has made her a leading voice for innovation and regulatory transparency in the US Senate.

Lummis has strongly criticized the current anti-crypto regulatory approach, particularly the enforcement-oriented stance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. This has helped her gain the trust of many in the crypto community.

Her advocacy pushed for Bitcoin and Ether (ETH) to be classified as commodities under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rather than under the SEC.

On July 27, 2024, she introduced the BITCOIN ACT of 2024 at the Bitcoin Nashville Summit. The bill calls for the US government to establish a strategic reserve of Bitcoin by purchasing roughly 5% of the total supply of 21 million BTC and holding it for at least 20 years. The US wants to use Bitcoin as a reserve asset to prevent currency collapse. Lummis said:

“We have the money now, but we no longer hold it in US dollars and in assets that are set to depreciate at least 2% per year. We hold it in assets that appreciate.”

In the year She doubled down on her pledge to pass the law after Republicans take control of the Senate and House following the 2024 federal election.

Lummis even went a step further and suggested that instead of waiting to buy Bitcoin, the US could convert its gold reserves into cryptocurrency.

The BITCOIN Act is considered by many to be one of the most pressing issues in the current Bitcoin cycle and continues to be a source of excitement in the crypto community.

Adam Back, founder and CEO of Blockstorm and creator of Hashcash, predicted that if implemented, it could push Bitcoin to a value of more than $1 million.

Basel Ismail, CEO of the investment analysis platform, told Cointelegraph that if the bill is passed in the US, “it will signal that most of the G20 countries will follow suit and that will create a domino effect.”

Maya Parbhoe: Creating a New Bitcoin Nation

Maya Parbhoe, presidential candidate in Suriname, has a big vision: to create a Bitcoin nation deeply integrated with crypto.

Her plan for Suriname goes beyond making Bitcoin legal tender – she wants to dismantle the central bank, cut taxes, privatize public services, issue a national Bitcoin bond and introduce extensive regulation.

In the year In 2023, she teamed up with Bitcoin accelerator Jan3 CEO Samson Mou, who played a pivotal role in El Salvador's Bitcoin revolution. She came close to achieving her goal of legal tender for Bitcoin in Suriname, but says corruption derailed her efforts, prompting her to seek political change.

In the year In October 2024, she announced her candidacy for the May 2025 election, promising to put Suriname on the Bitcoin standard within a year of winning.

While many politicians have recently embraced crypto, Parbhoe has been involved with Bitcoin for decades and is a firm believer in the values ​​of Satoshi Nakamoto.

In the year In 2014, her curiosity led her to Bitcoin and she found a lifelong reason, as she shared with Cointelegraph:

“I went completely down the rabbit hole and decided to dedicate the rest of my life to it. If there was a reason you could literally die on this hill, it would be Bitcoin.

Parbho's vision and efforts to root out corruption have received support from much of the Bitcoin community. But only time will tell if the momentum she is building will be enough to take over and shape the country's future.

Perianne Boring: tireless Bitcoin lobbyist

US President-elect Donald Trump has made several promises that, if fulfilled, could turn the country pro-crypto. However, US regulators and politicians have not always been so crypto-friendly.

Perrian Boring, founder and CEO of blockchain advocacy group The Digital Chamber, has been tirelessly at the forefront of crypto-friendly policies.

The Crypto Voter Bloc has spoken, and now we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make the US the crypto capital of the world. pic.twitter.com/3Sp3vo6qwJ

— Perianne (@PerianneDC) November 13, 2024

In the year In 2018, Forbes named Bori one of the “50 America's Top Women in Tech,” representing her powerful influence in the US blockchain sector.

Boring is an early adopter who learned about Bitcoin while working on Capitol Hill in 2011. She served as an economic analyst for the House Financial Services Committee, and her political experience and bitcoin expertise led her to her current role.

She is an outspoken defender of crypto policies and has criticized the SEC for what many in the crypto industry consider “enforceable regulation.” “The CFCC should regulate cryptocurrencies,” she argues.

According to Fox Business, her proactive approach may have put her on the shortlist to lead the CFTC, giving her the chance to enact crypto-friendly regulations if she is nominated and confirmed.

She could be a key figure in crypto regulation, especially if the Financial Innovation and Technology of the 21st Century (FIT21) comes out. FIT21 clarifies the roles of the CFTC and the SEC, confirming that most digital assets fail the SEC's “Hawaii test” for securities under CFTC jurisdiction, particularly in the spot markets.

Natalie Brunel: Educating the masses about crypto

Natalie Brunel is a prominent figure in the crypto space, known for her role as a Bitcoin advocate and educator.

Brunel hosts Coin Stories, a highly popular bitcoin-focused podcast where she interviews key voices in Bitcoin and economics. Her work helps connect complex financial concepts with personal stories, making Bitcoin accessible to a wider audience.

Brunelle's career began in traditional media, where she worked as an investigative reporter and TV journalist for more than a decade. After witnessing her family's financial struggles during the 2008 financial crisis, it led her to question systemic issues in the traditional financial system.

Since then, her program has featured crypto-related guests such as Michael Saylor, Peter Schiff, PlanB, Anthony Pompliano, Willie Wu, Raoul Pal, Dan Held, Peter McCormack, and Jimmy Song, among others.

Her journey from traditional media to full-time Bitcoin advocate underscores her commitment to reshaping the public's perception of money and technology.

Lyn Alden: Bitcoin researcher

Investor and stock analyst Lynn Alden has emerged as a prominent voice in macroeconomic analysis and investment strategy. She actively engages with crypto thought leaders to present her perspective and make sense of the crypto markets.

Alden specializes in making complex analytics simple for the average Joe. In the year In 2024, she produced a research report titled “Bitcoin: Global Liquidity Barometer” that explores the strong correlation between Bitcoin price movements and global money flows, particularly the M2 money supply.

According to the study, Bitcoin is in line with global liquidity trends approximately 83% of the time, a rate higher than other major asset classes such as gold and stocks.

This perspective emphasizes Bitcoin's volatility and ability to benefit from favorable liquidity conditions while recognizing its dependence on broader macroeconomic shifts.

Margot Paez: Fighting environmental misinformation

One of the most common criticisms of cryptocurrencies is the negative environmental impacts caused by crypto mining. However, this narrative is beginning to change.

Bitcoin uses Proof of Work (PoW) as a consensus mechanism, which requires a lot of computing power to generate new blocks on the blockchain. According to the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance (CCAF), bitcoin consumes 185 terawatt-hours per year as of December 17 – more than Egypt and Poland.

Margot Paez, a fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute and an environmental sustainability consultant, has conducted research challenging the idea that bitcoin is bad for the environment. She argued that Bitcoin's mining flexibility and environment-agnostic nature, on the contrary, could accelerate the global transition to renewable energy while helping to balance the energy grid.

Her active role in data-driven awareness campaigns has contributed to better understanding of Bitcoin mining.

Ophelia Snyder: Crypto ETF Expert

In the year Bitcoin's price rally in 2024 is strongly linked to the approval of spot Bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). BlackRock's BTC ETF has become the most successful ETF launch ever, toppling gold ETFs with consistent capital gains records.

Ophelia Snyder, co-founder and 21.co – a sponsor and subadvisor of ARK Investing Space Bitcoin and Ether ETF – has been a key figure in the front line of developing several ETFs.

In the year On November 1, 2018, Switzerland introduced the world's first crypto index exchange-traded product through 21.co subsidiary 21Shares.

One of Cinder's notable achievements was partnering with Cathy Wood's ARK Invest to launch Bitcoin ETFs in the US. Her efforts have gone a long way in legitimizing crypto assets for traditional investors by providing easy and secure market access.