The outcomes of the recent U.S. election have evidently led to substantial financial gains for key figures in the cryptocurrency industry. One notable beneficiary is Coinbase’s CEO, Brian Armstrong, who capitalized on post-election stock sales, earning an additional $129 million. The market value of Coinbase itself has seen a significant rise of $21 billion, with Armstrong’s personal stake in the company increasing by nearly $2 billion, now valued at $6.4 billion. Before the election, Coinbase made a significant contribution of $25 million to the super PAC Fairshake, and together with Armstrong, they donated a total of $74 million, equalling contributions from Ripple and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
Armstrong maintains a 10% ownership in Coinbase, with about 24 million shares in his trust, as per recent SEC disclosures. He has previously stated on X that these stock sales were part of a broader strategy to diversify his investments, although he continues to hold a majority of his shares.
The election also had a profound effect on Ripple, where CEO Brad Garlinghouse witnessed his wealth soar due to a sharp increase in XRP’s price. Following the election, XRP escalated from $0.50 to $2.32, achieving a 54.7% gain over the last 30 days, which has pushed its market capitalization to the third position among digital currencies.
Garlinghouse commented that the crypto market has risen by more than $1 trillion since Trump’s victory. Ripple’s political donation amounted to $73 million, while a16z contributed $70 million, with some funds earmarked for the 2026 election cycle.
Garlinghouse holds over 6% of Ripple and a considerable, though undisclosed, quantity of XRP, contributing to his status among America’s top billionaires. His personal wealth has more than tripled with the rise in XRP’s value post-election.
Similarly, Mark Andreessen and Ben Horowitz of a16z have seen their investments in cryptocurrency companies grow significantly more than their political contributions post-election, showing how the political landscape can directly influence financial outcomes in the crypto space.