Since the creation of bitcoin in 2009, the world of cryptocurrency has seen plenty of drama: huge price increases are followed by sharp drops, all while believers and cynics clash over whether it has a future.
Still, nine years later, some people have managed to turn an impressive profit on cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, Ripple’s XRP, and ether. Some of them are millionaires – perhaps even billionaires.
As these photos show, many of those who profited early from cryptocurrencies are young men. But while an estimated 71% of bitcoin owners are men, there’s a concerted effort among many women in tech to engage more in cryptocurrencies and offer resources for women looking to break into the male-dominated culture surrounding it.
While many cryptocurrency investors lie low and avoid flaunting their earnings out of fear of being targeted, there are a few displays of wealth and luxury on Instagram, revealing the newly acquired affluence of the crypto nouveau riche.
Here's an inside look at the lavish lives of six men who made fortunes by investing in cryptocurrencies and showed it off on Instagram.
Daniel Colosi first invested in cryptocurrencies last year with a friend. He says his initial investment of $5,000 snowballed into $200,000 in just a few short months.
http://instagr.am/p/BfJvM5PB98S
Source: Daily Mail
Colosi says he expects his cryptocurrency investment will make him a millionaire by 2019.
http://instagr.am/p/BTSiye5B4P9
Source: Daily Mail
Colosi, a former construction worker, has used some of the cash he made though cryptocurrencies to travel the world. In January, he told the Daily Mail he planned to relocate to Thailand.
http://instagr.am/p/BOJEUJ7gsfQ
Source: Daily Mail
Erik Finman invested the $1,000 he was gifted from his grandmother on his 12th birthday into bitcoin in 2011. His stash is now worth about $4 million at current prices.
http://instagr.am/p/Bd6GHSXHoBN
Source: Business Insider
Finman made a deal with his parents, who are both Stanford graduates: If he was a millionaire by the time he was 18, he wouldn't have to go to college.
http://instagr.am/p/BfJv3IVnKU5
Source: CNBC
Finman ended up dropping out of formal education even sooner — his parents agreed to let him quit high school when he was 15. Since then, he has launched and sold an online education company called Botangle that he created with his original bitcoin investment.
http://instagr.am/p/Bd0Y2p2nV2K
Source: CNBC
Eddy Zillan invested his entire $12,000 savings — from cash he earned teaching tennis lessons and gifts from his bar mitzvah — into the cryptocurrency ether when he was 18. Three years later, Zillan says his investment has yielded a profit of $1 million.
http://instagr.am/p/BeMQYK6BpS4
Source: Business Insider
Zillan, a high-school student, has built a company called Cryptocurrency Financial, offering cryptocurrency investing advice.
http://instagr.am/p/BXKtjcFgjsu
Source: Business Insider
On Instagram, the teen has dubbed himself the "Wolf of Crypto Street."
http://instagr.am/p/BfKL11BBTHU
Source: Business Insider
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the twins known for their lawsuit accusing Mark Zuckerberg of stealing the idea for Facebook from them, were early cryptocurrency investors.
http://instagr.am/p/BQeJa3tgC5F
Source: CNBC
The twins could be among the world's first bitcoin billionaires. With bitcoin trading at about $11,000 on Wednesday morning, their hoard could be worth over $1 billion.
http://instagr.am/p/BeykQSpBFcI
Source: CNBC
But the Winklevoss twins say they have no intention of cashing in on their gains.
http://instagr.am/p/2Tqh0ysDOw
Source: CNBC
In 2015, they launched the digital-currency marketplace Gemini, where users can trade cryptocurrencies for traditional currencies.
http://instagr.am/p/BGyEKT4JOnl
Source: Investopedia
Rowan Hill retired at 26 from mining coal in Australia after cashing in on his cryptocurrency profits.
http://instagr.am/p/BeOZ600l30M
Source: The Financial Post
Hill recently attended the weeklong Blockchain Cruise, an event hosted by CoinsBank. Hill, a snowboarding enthusiast, frequently travels to pursue his hobbies.
http://instagr.am/p/BDhPEZCHdCP
Source: The Financial Post