From Bitcoin Reserve to Green Mining: Women Shaping The Future of the Crypto Industry

When we talk about cryptocurrencies and Web3, we often talk about technology, numbers and trends. But the industry is always a story of the people who contribute to its development and formation.

We've previously covered many notable women influencing the world of digital assets in various sectors, but every year there are bright new personalities who are shaping its future.

Over the past year, the cryptocurrency industry has seen the emergence of figures whose initiatives have had a significant impact on it - from the idea of creating a bitcoin reserve that has captured the minds of many governments to redefining the public's views on mining. These women aren't just following trends - they're shaping the future of cryptocurrencies themselves.

Cynthia Lummis 

Cynthia Lummis is the ”cryptocurrency queen of the Senate” and the ”political voice” of bitcoin in the United States.

In 2024, it was she who proposed the creation of a strategic reserve based on the first cryptocurrency and presented the corresponding bill called Boosting Innovation, Technology and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide Act - BITCOIN Act for short. 

It didn't take long for the senator's initiative to become not only a topic of discussion at the highest level in the U.S., but also the idea of creating their own bitcoin reserve in a number of other countries.

The proposal of Lummis sounded almost simultaneously with the advent of a new administration in the United States headed by President Donald Trump, much friendlier to cryptocurrencies than the previous one.

The latter indeed directed to study the creation of a national reserve based on several cryptocurrencies, and later also signed an executive order on the creation of a strategic bitcoin reserve - however, for its formation is not yet provided for the purchase of the first cryptocurrency, but the use of assets confiscated in criminal and civil cases. Not exactly what Lummis had in mind and what the community was expecting, but the reserve story doesn't seem to be over yet either.

In addition to the idea of a strategic reserve, Lummis continues to push for a comprehensive regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. She is considered the leader among U.S. lawmakers in terms of the number of initiatives aimed at supporting the segment.

Maya Parbhoe 

Many people first heard of Maya Parbhoe after she decided to run for president of Suriname, making bitcoin and blockchain one of the key elements of her program.

According to her own words, Parbhoe became interested in cryptocurrencies about 10 years ago, seeing bitcoin as a possible solution to the structural problems of Suriname's economy, plagued by corruption and inefficiency. She later founded Daedalus Labs to develop applications based on bitcoin and the NOSTR protocol.

Parbhoe's agenda as a presidential candidate includes blockchain integration, constitutional amendments, bitcoin legalization and the abolition of the central bank.

Suriname's elections are scheduled for May 2025. If Parbhou wins, she will become the first female president to introduce cryptocurrency at the state level.

Meltem Demirors 

The name Meltem Demirors is known to many enthusiasts who have been following the development of the crypto industry for a long time.

She started her journey back in 2015, becoming part of the investment conglomerate Digital Currency Group, where she participated in the formation of more than 100 blockchain startups. She later joined the large digital asset management company CoinShares and has been listed as one of the most influential people in the crypto industry by the media on more than one occasion. 

In 2024, after leaving her position as head of strategy at CoinShares, she focused on her own initiatives and launched blockchain-focused investment firm Crucible.

Hester Peirce

Hester Peirce is a representative of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and perhaps the crypto industry's main ally among regulators.

She has even been referred to as a ”crypto mom” in the community for her consistently friendly stance on digital assets.

For years, Peirce criticized her own agency's actions toward the crypto industry. Now she has an opportunity to influence the SEC's course: in January 2025, she was appointed to head a working group called Crypto 2.0 to develop a regulatory framework for cryptoassets. Thus, it is Hester Peirce's position that will largely determine the US regulatory landscape for blockchain companies.

It is worth noting that the SEC's policy toward the industry has already seen a significant turnaround. Just recently, the Commission suspended or closed investigations into Robinhood, Uniswap, Gemini, Consensys and Coinbase. Probably not without the involvement of a new group led by Pearce.

Margo Paes 

Climate activist and scientist who has consistently challenged common myths about the environmental harms of mining. 

Notably, in early 2024, Paes harshly criticized a UN report on bitcoin mining, pointing out fundamental flaws in the study's methodology and questioning the authors' conclusions.

She later presented a sweeping report that compares the energy consumption of bitcoin and artificial intelligence and makes recommendations for regulators on how to harness mining for the environment.

It emphasizes that the mining industry is already taking steps to transition to renewable sources, and because of their flexibility, miners can help power grids balance load.Paes has actively popularized the idea that bitcoin can be an environmental solution rather than a problem. This, among other things, has helped to noticeably shift the focus of the environmental debate: more and more talk is not about banning mining, but about integrating it into green energy. 

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These examples clearly demonstrate that the crypto industry has long gone beyond a technological novelty or purely financial instrument to become a field for profound social, political and environmental transformation;

The women we've featured regularly prove that the courage to pursue ambitious ideas can open new horizons and redefine familiar paradigms. Their influence goes far beyond the industry and inspires many others to enter the world of cryptocurrencies more boldly, to familiarize themselves with it, and then to change it;