Forbes has announced the launch of its annual Under 30 list on the Ethereum blockchain. The announcement represents news of the first time a publication like this is launching on the blockchain. It is a pointer to the potential of using blockchain technology to store published data permanently.
Forbes is doing this to ensure that all of the achievements under the individual belts of the highlighted persons are permanently recorded on the blockchain. Forbes will launch all categories of the Under 30 list on the blockchain and personal profiles of all mentioned persons. The Under 30 list is published annually, recognizing notable people across several industries, all under 30 years old. Some categories include Media, Games, Sports, Technology, Finance, Healthcare, Education, Venture Capital, Art and style, Music, Hollywood and entertainment, and Social Enterprise.
Speaking on the development, Forbes Chief Digital and Information Officer Vadim Supitskiy said:
“Forbes is at the forefront of marrying traditional media with cutting-edge technology. By launching the Under 30 list on the Ethereum blockchain, we’re not just recognizing the influential young leaders but also demonstrating the vast, untapped potential of blockchain technology in data storage and security.”
The 2024 finance list for North America includes several representatives from the crypto industry. Featured persons include Injective Labs cofounders Eric Chen and Albert Chon, Fractal cofounder Aya Kantorovich, and Blockchain Capital general partner Aleks Larsen. Others are Layer3 cofounders Dariya Khojasteh and Brandon Kumar, Bitcoin Depot founder Brandon Mintz, and Sei Labs cofounders Jeff Feng and Jayendra Jog.
Forbes Has More than One List Highlighting Crypto and Blockchain Leaders
The 2022 list had 21 Bitcoin and blockchain leaders, among several notable people from other industries. Some featured persons include Alameda Research co-CEOs Caroline Ellison and Sam Trabucco, OpenSea cofounder Alex Atallah, and dYdX founder Antonio Juliano. Others were Slingshot founder Clinton Bembry, 21Shares cofounder Ophelia Snyder, CoinList founder Brian Tubergen, Blockworks cofounders Michael Ippolito and Jason Yanowitz, and People cofounder Emily Yang.
Last April, Forbes published a list of the world’s richest crypto and blockchain billionaires. The list featured former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, Coinbase founder and CEO Brian Armstrong, and Ripple executive chairman and cofounder Chris Larsen.
Forbes has previously tried to go public, announcing its intention to do so in 2021. At the time, Forbes Global Media Holdings Inc. revealed a decision to publicly list via a merger with Magnum Opus Acquisition, a particular purpose acquisition company (SPAC). Forbes planned to raise $600 million, including $200 million in cash from Magnum Opus. Notably, the other $400 million came from the private placement of company shares.
However, Forbes abandoned plans for an IPO last June. The company reportedly pulled the plug because investor appetite and general enthusiasm for blank-cheque vehicles were unsatisfactory. Interest in IPOs launched via SPACs waned for several reasons. A significant problem was the increased scrutiny from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).