Changpeng Zhao: And Then There Was One – Most Influential 2022

This role of crypto savior is problematic for several reasons. First, it goes against the core ideals of crypto, which is supposed to be trustless, decentralized and resistant to a single point of failure. But there are practical consequences as well. Because FTX was doing business with so many companies, its implosion triggered a domino effect. BlockFi, one of the companies that FTX tried to rescue, just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Other companies, including CoinDesk sister company Genesis Trading and Gemini, have suffered from contagion. There is likely more to come. The fall of such a well-known and once well-liked figure as SBF has also dealt a major black eye to the crypto industry, which already struggles to gain trust from regulators and much of the public.