Renowned crypto investor and Hashed CEO Simon Kim said he began investing in Ether back in 2015, the year it was founded. His friends called him crazy for laying out most of his savings as by the end of March 2017, he had allotted approximately $ 400,000.

While Kim's investment is difficult to verify, one thing is certain: Ether has risen in value since early 2017. It grew more than 10 times last year, making Kim one of the most famous blockchain proponents in South Korea. Accordingly, Kim raised his first blockchain fund in December, and plans to raise another one this month.

"He is like Yoda, the Jedi Master of cryptocurrency," Sean Park, a managing director at Boston Consulting Group who worked with Kim on a blockchain project, said.

Kim belongs to the fast-growing class of the newly rich who make money in virtual currency. Currently, Bitcoin and Ether continue to fluctuate wildly, but have surged to records this year.

In an interview, Kim said the most successful investment is when you spot a strong asset that either gets little attention or is viewed negatively.

The 36-year-old entrepreneur is a software developer who has built and sold two companies. One was about educational technology, while the other was about dating apps.