This May Be the Most Severe Wildfire in California's History, Even Some of Los Angeles's Wealthiest Communities Have Not Been Spared

California is currently experiencing one of its worst wildfires in history, threatening the safety of millions of residents and having a severe impact on many companies and individuals in the cryptocurrency industry.

As the fires rapidly spread across the state, they have reached some of Los Angeles's wealthiest communities, where many crypto giants and newly wealthy individuals have made their homes. These mansions, once a showcase of commercial success, are now facing the direct threat of relentless natural disasters.

Here's a look at some of the crypto project leaders whose homes have been affected by the wildfires:

Moonbirds Founder Loses Home in Wildfire

"I'm sorry to say that I lost everything in the #PacificPalisades fire. There is nothing left here," wrote Moonbirds founder Kevin Rose, sharing video footage of his burned home and community.

As shown in his video, Rose's residence in Los Angeles was completely destroyed in the California wildfires.

Rose began his career by founding the website Digg and later became a venture capitalist, being one of the earliest investors in Twitter and Square. He gained fame after creating the Moonbirds project in December 2021 during the early NFT bull market.

Last year, Rose sold Moonbirds to Yuga Labs. As part of the deal, he became an advisor to Yuga Labs during a "brief transition period." Shortly after the project launched, it quickly attracted over $500 million in sales through a series of NFT sales events and raised $50 million from Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z).

Rose's fame peaked with the success of the Moonbirds project. During this time, he purchased a new home in the Brentwood community of Los Angeles for $16.5 million. This celebrity enclave is known for its luxurious properties, and the house Rose bought features modern design with over 7,600 square feet of space, mostly consisting of glass walls that offer panoramic views of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, this beautiful residence was completely destroyed in the fire.

Many people may not know that in a previous podcast, he revealed the immense pressure brought on by his involvement in NFT projects. He candidly discussed health issues he experienced, including anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure, and a brain aneurysm, due to the explosive growth in NFT trading volume, even trying ketamine therapy, which ultimately made him feel a sense of relief he hadn't experienced since his teenage years.

Perhaps due to his previous treatment experiences, Rose also shared some philosophical views on accepting uncertainty on social media during this fire, hoping to find freedom and peace of mind through this approach. "When we understand the truth of uncertainty, we become free."

Brother Ma Ji's Mansion 16km from Fire Zone

When it comes to Chinese celebrities in the NFT space, the name Brother Ma Ji is well-known.

In June 2023, Taiwanese artist and NFT tycoon Huang Licheng (Brother Ma Ji) purchased a mansion in the famous Bird Streets community of Los Angeles for $25 million. This luxurious villa boasts 14,000 square feet of spacious living, featuring a wine room, marble bar, and large gym, with 5 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms.

Reportedly, this mansion in Bird Streets was initially listed for $34 million and was just completed in early 2022. However, photos show that Brother Ma Ji acquired it a year later for about 75% less than the asking price. He became neighbors with other celebrities such as Foxconn founder Terry Gou, the Winklevoss twins, and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault.

From the images, it can be seen that the entire house features beige and brown tones, with a spacious interior designed in an open layout, large windows providing a view of the entire Hollywood Hills, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.

Although Brother Ma Ji owns numerous mansions, during this wildfire season, this mansion on Bird Street, located just 16 kilometers from the Pacific Palisades fire area, may be one of the most concerning properties for him.

Ankr Founder's Home 14km from Fire Zone

In the neighboring block of the Bird Streets community, Brother Ma Ji has a crypto neighbor, Song Yunfan, the founder of Ankr.

On November 22, 2021, this 27-year-old cryptocurrency entrepreneur purchased a mansion in Los Angeles's affluent area for $12 million, situated near the hills of Doheny Estates, adjacent to the famous Bird Streets area. The house was completed in early 2019 and was initially listed for nearly $17 million, but after being on the market for over two years and undergoing multiple price adjustments, it was sold to Song Yunfan.

According to Dirt, this villa was designed by XTEN Architecture and has a total area of 7,500 square feet, featuring luxurious interior decor, including five bedrooms and six bathrooms. The design of the