Wirex is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Rising Women in Crypto Awards, recognizing outstanding women who are shaping the future of crypto and Web3. The awards celebrate diverse voices, bold ideas, and leaders who are driving innovation and positive change across the global blockchain ecosystem.
After weeks of nominations, strong community engagement through public voting, and evaluation by an expert jury, this year’s awards celebrate women who are leading, building, and shaping the crypto and Web3 ecosystem across entrepreneurship, media, communications, and community growth.
Celebrating the 2025 Winners
The 2025 Rising Women in Crypto Awards recognize outstanding achievements across six categories:
Best Women-Led Startup to Watch: Impactful Artistry, founded by Lianna Adams, for driving innovation at the intersection of creativity and Web3
Best Crypto Journalist: Stacy Jones, Markets Editor at Decrypt, for her impactful reporting and industry insight
Best Crypto Influencer: Olga Arzhaeva, Business Operations at Hercle and Co-Founder & Co-President of the Blockchain Student Association Italy, for her community leadership and educational impact
Best Founder: Kara Howard, Co-Founder & Ecosystem Growth at SI<3>, for building and scaling within the Web3 ecosystem
Best Crypto Podcaster: Yely Kopan, Host of Voice of Web3, for amplifying conversations shaping the industry
Best PR and Communications Strategist: Debra Nita R., Associate Director and Head of Growth at YAP Global, for elevating Web3 storytelling and communications excellence
Each of these winners represents the ambition, resilience, and creativity of women working across Web3 today. Their work continues to push the industry forward while opening doors for others to follow.
A Community-Driven and Expert-Led Selection Process
This year’s winners were selected through a combination of public community voting and final jury evaluation, ensuring that both industry voices and expert perspectives played a role in the outcome.
The 2025 jury brought together respected leaders from across crypto, media, and Web3:
Ada Vaughan, Senior Director of DeFi Partnerships, Stellar Development Foundation
Alena Afanaseva, Founder and CEO, BeInCrypto
Allison Alvarez, COO and Co-Founder, Gameduk
Catherine Ross-Mychka, Journalist, Writer, and Podcast Host
Maria Pia Paolicelli, Web3 Partnerships Manager and Co-Founder, CryptoGirl
We are deeply grateful for their time, insight, and thoughtful evaluation throughout the process.
Why Rising Women in Crypto Matters
Crypto is ultimately built by people — and the industry is stronger, more creative, and more resilient when diverse perspectives are visible and valued.
Through initiatives like Rising Women in Crypto, Wirex remains committed to supporting inclusion, leadership, and long-term growth across the digital asset ecosystem.
Media Partnership Support
The Rising Women in Crypto Awards are supported by BeInCrypto, Wirex’s official media partner, helping amplify diverse voices across the global crypto and Web3 ecosystem and bringing greater visibility to the achievements of women in the space.
Thank You to Our Community
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who participated by nominating candidates, voting, and supporting this year’s awards. Your engagement is what makes Rising Women in Crypto possible and continues to grow this initiative year after year.
Congratulations once again to all of our 2025 Rising Women in Crypto Award winners — and thank you for helping shape the future of Web3.
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