30 Essential Twitter Accounts To Follow If You Care About Crypto

Crypto and blockchain true believers envision a world in which the internet — and finance for that matter — is transparent, decentralized, and token-powered. Well, let’s just say that this wild, new, middleman-free digital utopia doesn’t exist quite yet, with Big Tech still exerting a huge influence on the web. So for now, web3 diehards congregate at a quintessentially web2 location: Twitter. The microblog site plays such a huge role in crypto culture that scholars have accurately predicted day-trading activity based on what’s trending. That means if you want to understand what’s happening in crypto, you have to be on Twitter. We pulled together a list of 30 must-follow accounts (plus a few of their favourites) that will, either through shitposting or earnest analysis or some combination of the two, keep you cued in to the crypto conversation.

The Makers

The Artist: @muratpak

The pseudonymous digital artist Pak was best known for creating the Archillect, a bot that collects pieces of art from around the internet and posts them on social media. That changed in December 2021, when Pak’s NFT titled “The Merge” sold for $91 million USD, the single largest NFT sale to date, catapulting Pak into an entirely different universe of blockchain stardom. Nowadays his oft-sarcastic tweets drive much of the conversation around NFTs. (In case you’re curious, Wealthsimple discovered Pak’s identity last year. You can listen to our podcast about it here.)

The Founder: @vitalikbuterin

It’s not a debate: you have to follow Vitalik Buterin. As you probably already know, Buterin is the Russian-born Canadian programmer who cofounded Ethereum, which, as you also probably know, is the blockchain platform whose currency, ether, is second in market value only to Bitcoin’s. At only 28 years old, Buterin has already gained sage-like status for his takes on crypto’s future. He also uses his Twitter to opine about all things defi/crypto/blockchain as he works to build ETH 2.0 and reduce Ethereum’s environmental impact.

The Rising Star: @Fewocious

If you want to see the enthusiasm that drives the NFT community in a single follow, check out Fewocious. The baby-faced 19-year-old (real name: Victor Langlois) started painting at age 13. Since then, he’s documented his gender transition and difficult childhood through a series of bright, joyful paintings. Even if you aren’t interested in NFTs, his all-caps tweets and colourful art will brighten up your feed with something we could all use a little more of: straight-up fun.

The DJ: @3LAU

A DJ and EDM producer who performs under the stage name 3LAU, Justin Blau launched a platform that allows artists to divide their royalties into fractions and sell them to fans as NFTs. That way, artists have a new source of revenue outside of record labels, and fans can profit when their favourite band’s music blows up. Blau argues that the blockchain could transform music as drastically as Napster or Spotify — and in a way that actually benefits musicians, too. If anything is happening in the world of independent music on the blockchain, it’s on Blau’s Twitter.

The Illustrator: @osinachi

Prince Jacon Osinachi Igwe, who goes simply by Osinachi, is the foremost cryptocurrency artist in Nigeria (and maybe all of Africa). He makes stunning, colourful illustrations with — of all things — Microsoft Word, and last year he became the first NFT artist from Africa to have their work sold by Christie’s. Nigeria has one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency markets, and that’s helping to push some of the country’s artists into the global spotlight. If you want to know about the best of them and other digital artists from around the world, follow Osinachi.

The Personal Brand: @AlexMasmej

There are already plenty of big personalities in the tech and investment world. Alex Masmej decided to go bigger: he literally minted himself as a token, creating the first human IPO. Holders of $ALEX coins could vote on when he would wake up in the morning and what he would eat, and would be entitled to a portion of his future income. His new project, Showtime, aims to be the Instagram of NFTs. He uses his feed to explore what web3 social networks can look like, and, of course, interact with his $ALEX token holders.

Alex’s picks: @coin_artist, @ldf_gm

The Developer: @richerd

Richerd Chan is the founder of Vancouver-based manifold.xyz, one of the top studios creating smart contracts for blockchain artists. (He might be most famous for turning down a $10-million offer for a Crypto Punk he owns.) Even if you think you already know everything about the power of smart contracts and the future of NFTs, his Twitter will likely prove otherwise.

Richerd’s picks: @IphaCentauriKid, @RogerDickerman, @0xfoobar

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The OG: @Rheaplex

Before blockchain art was even a thing, Rhea Myers was making it. Her 2014 Ethereum-based piece, This Contract is Art, was the first time the art world really met cryptocurrency. (She also tokenized her soul that same year and minted her genome.) She writes extensively on art theory, but her Twitter page is so much more, platforming other creators and responding with thoughtful rebuttals to crypto critics.

The Legend: @XCOPYART

London-based artist XCOPY is one of the top-selling NFT artists ever. He’s been outspoken about how NFT royalties can change the game for artists, and tweets out other creators’ freshly minted pieces to help them gain a foothold in the space.

The Duo: @hackatao

Since they began collaborating in 2007, Italian crypto artists Hackatao have sold more than 1,500 pieces of art for more than $15 million (you can read their Money Diary with us here). Their latest project, Queens+Kings, is a play on generative art, allowing buyers to disassemble and reassemble their own avatars with traits in the NFTs they own. On Twitter they’re constantly interacting with other NFT artists and collectors, generating discussion about the best NFT marketplaces and whether or not the industry is a bubble. (They prefer the term, “expanding universe.”)

The Thinkers

The Philosopher: @cdixon

Chris Dixon studied philosophy before moving into the crypto VC space (he’s currently a partner at a16z), and that academic background is evident in even his most off-the-cuff tweets on the future of finance. He’s a big believer in the potential of blockchain and web3, and if you’re still skeptical, his passionate threads just might bring you around.

The Former Prosecutor: @katie_haun

In her decade as a federal prosecutor, Kathryn Haun investigated everyone from mafiosos to the agents behind Silk Road, making her an expert in crypto’s dark side well before she moved into crypto VC and started focusing on the light. Her conversation with Ezra Klein on the pros and cons of cryptocurrency is a must-listen for skeptics — and her Twitter is too. She recently launched her own crypto venture firm, putting her — and her tweets — on the cutting edge of everything in the industry.

The Innovator: @Naval

Naval Ravikan is an entrepreneur and an early investor in more than 200 companies, including Twitter, Uber, and Clubhouse. His tweets are so revered among his followers that they’ve been collected into an almanac. They read like fortune cookies from a savant, and you’re bound to find at least one a day that changes the way you think, invest, or spend your time.

The Influencer: @Melt_Dem

Being the chief strategy officer of CoinShares didn’t keep Meltem Demirors busy enough, apparently, because she is also a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s Cryptocurrency Council, and she teaches at MIT and Oxford. Follow her account’s insightful educational threads on the future of the market, as well as really funny shitposts.

The Advocate: @damedoteth

Jackson Dame is unlike a lot of crypto proponents in that they’re incredibly vocal about how the industry needs to change, and aren’t afraid to express FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) right alongside their enthusiasm. Their Twitter is filled with calls for more diversity, accessibility, and transparency in the ecosystem, and it’s constantly highlighting projects making that happen.

The Engineer: @iam_preethi

Preethi Kasireddy is a largely self-taught software engineer, writer, and entrepreneur — and she’s passionate about sharing her knowledge. She founded DappCamp, a three-week course to teach you web3 development, and her intro to cryptocurrency is a must-read. Her Twitter is filled with learning opportunities and job listings. If you want to work with the blockchain — or you just want to understand it better than you do now — her account is a great place to start.

The Futurist: @tarunchitra

Most of the people on this list offer simple, straightforward threads recapping crypto news or explaining web3 concepts. But Tarun Chitra goes much deeper. The Cornell and D.E. Shaw Research alum who works on simulation-based research and development, computing and AI uses his Twitter to dive into some of the fascinating math behind crypto. It’s also filled with high-level jokes that crypto nerds will truly appreciate, like the possibility of starting a TMZ gossip column based on celebrity wallet address activity.

Tarun’s picks: @pridesai, @bertcmiller, @GuilleAngeris, @0xdoug, @sunnya97

The Trader: @DCLBlogger

Mateen Soudagar, aka DCLBlogger, is an Australian NFT enthusiast who uses his popular YouTube channel to share strategies for selecting digital projects to trade or virtual properties to flip. His Twitter is the Coles Notes version of that — and a great follow for anyone trying to profit in Web3.

The Collectors

The Curator: @punk6529

If you want pithy, 6529 is not your best follow. The digital art collector loves bypassing the 250-character-count, with sprawling threads that range from incredibly simple-to-understand explainers to insightful predictions on the future of the NFT community. Plus, he’s an excellent source of art recommendations, constantly retweeting a wide variety of different digital pieces from his gallery and beyond.

The Renaissance Mystery Man: @CozomoMedici

You may remember the Medicis as 15th century Italian art collectors, but Cozomo is decidedly more modern, making his name by purchasing some of the biggest NFTs in the digital art world. In September, the account holder purportedly revealed himself to be none other than Snoop Dogg. Since then, however, eagle-eyed reporters have noticed some inconsistencies, including pictures from Italy over the summer (when Snoop doesn’t appear to have been there), and an obscured shot with Jason Derulo, in which Medici appears to be much shorter than Snoop and… white. It’s lead to a real “I’m Spartacus” moment online, with even Paris Hilton claiming to be the account holder. Follow to be among the first to know what’s happening in NFTs — and for easter eggs that might finally reveal the account’s true identity.

Cozomo’s picks: @mooncat2878, @bonafidehan, and @artnome

The Advisor: @iamDCinvestor

One of the earliest and most prolific NFT collectors, Aftab Hossain, who goes by the handle DCInvestor, tweets at length about his investment philosophy and how he built his portfolio. As indulgent as that may sound, his posts — while not financial advice — are a necessary read for those who want to build collections of their own.

The Community Builder: @MichelleAbbs

Along with founding web3 equity, a group working to provide resources and networking opportunities to women investors, collectors, and creators, Michelle Abbs is also the VP of community and education at Metagood, a NFT marketplace that supports humanitarian causes. Her Twitter is the easiest way to instantly connect with the many up-and-coming women in the crypto world.

The Investor: @MattHuang

Matt Huang is a cofounder of Paradigm, an investment firm that seeded some of the hottest crypto startups, including FTX, Coinbase, and Uniswap. It also recently raised the biggest fund ever in crypto: $2.5 billion. So it’s safe to say he knows the space. His Twitter is filled with insight into the future of DeFi and web3, and what it will mean for our future financial systems.

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The Media

The Journalist: @laurashin

A former senior editor at Forbes, Laura Shin is the host of “Unchained,” a weekly podcast that breaks down the latest crypto news, and author of “The Cryptopians,” the story behind the rise of ethereum. She’s a self-professed nocoiner — meaning she doesn’t actually own crypto — so you can trust her for truly independent journalism with no risk of shilling. If there’s a story worth reading about crypto, she’ll tweet it — and let you know exactly why it matters.

Laura’s picks: @cburniske, @tayvano_, @jchervinsky, @mayazi

The Educator: @lindaxie

With its complicated concepts and esoteric vocabulary, crypto can feel more than a little cliquey. But Linda Xie — a former product manager at Coinbase, the founder of crypto investment firm Scalar Capital, and a documentary film producer — is a refreshingly welcoming voice in the space. If you’re a newcomer, you’ll appreciate her unintimidating guides to things like DAOs and social tokens. For everyone else, she is constantly cheering on exciting projects that you’ll want to be aware of.

The Media Exec: @jarroddicker

After starting out as a music journalist, Jarrod Dicker founded the Washington Post’s Research, Experimentation, and Development team before becoming CEO of Po.et, a media company that wants to use the blockchain to track content ownership and copyright (and maybe, you know, save media). Lately, he’s working with DAOs exploring how NFTs can be an onramp into creator communities — making his tweets a must-read for anyone interested in how users and creators can be in more control of their data in web3.

The Editor: @La__Cuen

As the editor of Des Femmes Magazine, Leigh Cuen is working to change the crypto community’s reputation as a male-dominated space, with journalism that empowers women and networking opportunities to help them create and control wealth. Her Twitter is an extension of that mission, where she offers advice and opportunities, and links to fascinating and often-overlooked stories. (A recent piece covered the ways sex workers are finding opportunities via web3.)

Leigh’s picks: @soona, @actuallyCarlaKC, @glozow, @Melt_Dem, @holyn,  @chaserchapman, @_kinjalbshah, @ljin18, and @manasilvora

The Art Nerd: @ArtNome

Jason Bailey is among the most thoughtful art critics in the NFT space. His blog, Artnome, is a living database of known works from some of the world’s most important artists, and his latest project, Right Click Save, is an online magazine dedicated to art and the blockchain. His Twitter is a constant stream of his latest thoughts on the digital art world, plus some good reminders to step away from the computer once in a while, thanks to the beautiful photos he snaps on his walks.

The Memer: @TrungTPhan

Trung Phan describes his feed best: “Smart threads. Dumb Memes.” The former tech writer for The Hustle practically lives on Twitter, and puts together a weekly substack of the funniest tweets about tech, finance and crypto. His feed is more of the same, and it provides a never-boring way to stay on top of what’s happening in crypto news. But what’s really worth sticking around for are the smart threads, like this one detailing the takeaways from Ark’s Big Ideas Report for 2022.

The Critic: @parismarx

If you want to gain a balanced understanding of any topic, you can’t just follow boosters. Paris Marx is anything but a booster. The host of the “Tech Won’t Save Us” podcast, Marx regularly tweets thoughtful criticism of Silicon Valley’s worldview. He’s talked about crypto’s environmental footprint and how Roblox might be profiting off of children’s labour. His feed is the antidote to the lofty (and often impossible) promises of web3 devotees.

Paris’ picks: @SilvermanJacob, @bigblackjacobin, @molly0xFFF, @smdiehl

Written By

Sarah Rieger

Sarah Rieger is a news writer for Wealthsimple Magazine. She was previously a staff writer and editor at CBC News and HuffPost Canada. You can reach her at srieger@wealthsimple.com, or on Twitter at @sarahcrgr.