Elon Musk Overtakes Trump as Crypto’s Most Influential Voice – How He Got There
New data from ApeX Protocol’s July 2025 analysis shows crypto’s top influencers are largely surprising political and celebrity figures, including Tesla’s Elon Musk
According to the ranking, Elon Musk leads with roughly $2.0 billion in crypto holdings and 221.2 million social followers – far outstripping even President Donald Trump in second place.
Trump clocks in at $1.34 million in crypto and 142.7 million followers. El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele (#3) holds $8.44 million in crypto and reaches 17.6 million followers.
Notably only one woman, Senator Cynthia Lummis, and one non-U.S. leader, Nayib Bukele, made the top-10.
The ApeX report used a data-driven mix of crypto holdings, net worth and social reach to score influence. In short, the “biggest wallets” alone didn’t win – followers and voices in the media did.
Apex Protocol’s influence index underscores that fame and followers outweigh pure wealth. Musk tops the list with $2.0 billion in crypto and 221.2 M social media followers.
Trump is second with 1.34 M in crypto and 142.7 M followers. Third is Bukele ($8.44 M, 17.6 M followers), followed by ex–presidential candidate RFK Jr. and crypto-friendly lawmakers.
The analysis notes that only one woman and one non-U.S. politician appear in this elite group. It emphasizes that politics, culture and communication now drive crypto influence as much as tech or finance.
Elon Musk’s Crypto Agenda
Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk has actively stoked his crypto clout. On July 7, 2025 he announced a new “America Party” and confirmed on X that it will “embrace Bitcoin”, telling a follower “Fiat is hopeless, so yes.”
Musk also owns a big crypto stake through Tesla: in early 2021 Tesla bought $1.5 billion of BTC and today still holds about 11,509 BTC ($1.26 billion).
His history of public Dogecoin support keeps markets twitchy – for example, DOGE price jumped 5% after Musk launched his party.
He frequently tweets cryptic memecoins and payment hints; his “$Doge” posts have in the past fueled steep rallies or drops.)
Even Elon Musk’s feud with Trump has gone crypto: on July 1 Trump quipped that “DOGE should take a ‘good, hard, look’ at Musk’s companies” during their spat, underlining how crypto names pepper their social-media war.
Donald Trump’s Crypto Push
President Donald Trump, ranked #2, has pivoted strongly into crypto policy. On Day One he signed an executive order creating a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a digital-asset stockpile, aiming to hold government-seized crypto as reserve assets.
He vowed to make America the “crypto capital of the world”. His March 2025 plan triggered a market rally – Bitcoin jumped 10% to $94,000 – and even Cardano, Solana and XRP spiked as he named them for the reserve.
Trump also convened a White House Crypto Summit in early March, reversing the prior administration’s crackdown. Trump has lobbied Congress hard too.
He publicly urged Republicans in mid-July to pass landmark crypto bills, tweeting “The House will soon VOTE on a tremendous Bill to Make America the UNDISPUTED, NUMBER ONE LEADER in Digital Assets – Digital Assets are the FUTURE.”
That push ran into GOP resistance: a small group of conservative House members briefly blocked debate on Trump-backed crypto bills (the GENIUS Act and related measures).
Regardless, Trump’s administration is aggressively pro-crypto. His nominee RFK Jr (see below) is HHS Secretary and Musk was tapped as a potential SEC chief. Altogether these moves keep Trump near the top of crypto influence.
Other Political Crypto Figures
Beyond Elon Musk and Trump, the ranking highlights some unexpected names. El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele (#3) was an early Bitcoin adopter – he even made BTC legal tender – and still tweets crypto constantly.
U.S. politicians show up too: for example Senator Cynthia Lummis (the only woman in the top-10) chairs the Senate digital-assets subcommittee.
She reintroduced a “Bitcoin Act” in March 2025 to create a U.S. Bitcoin reserve, and helped champion the GENIUS stablecoin bill, reportedly signed by Trump this summer.
United States Vice President J.D. Vance and Texas Rep. Ted Cruz also rank in the top 6, known for pushing pro-crypto policies (Vance on CBDC clarity, Cruz on crypto in Texas). In short, congressional crypto policy-makers have become de facto influencers.
Independent figures also loom large. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (ranked #4) remains a vocal Bitcoin advocate. He publicly announced he put “most of my wealth in Bitcoin” and calls it a “currency of freedom”.
As RFK Jr. took on a Cabinet role, his pro-Bitcoin stance attracted attention – he touted BTC as an inflation hedge and even hinted the U.S. budget should be on-chain.
In short, RFK Jr.’s crypto-friendly rhetoric – plus Trump’s meme-coin branding – amplifies their profile among crypto audiences.
Crypto Regulation and Political Endorsements
Crypto’s power list is evolving with policy news. The first-half 2025 regulatory wave underscores this.
In March the U.S. announced a crypto reserve and held a summit; in July congressional debate over crypto bills reached national TV.
Overseas, regulators in Hong Kong, Singapore and Brazil also made headlines on blockchain measures. All this political noise feeds the influence scores – figures who endorse crypto (or appear to) gain sway.
For example, former SEC nominee Jay Clayton’s departure cleared the way for Trump’s promised pro-crypto SEC chair.
Looking ahead, new crypto-specific legislation will matter. The BITCOIN Act (mandating a U.S. Bitcoin reserve) and GENIUS Act (stablecoin framework) are in play – both have been backed by those in the influence top-10.
How regulators move on these will affect who leads. If digital-asset laws pass, politicians named in them will see their crypto clout rise.
As noted, crypto’s current powerbrokers aren’t just coin founders or exchange CEOs – they’re a mix of tech billionaires, media personalities and politicians shaping the rules.
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