A late-night Uber ride in 2017 introduced Aaron Arnold to cryptocurrency and set him on a path from a struggling filmmaker to one of the biggest voices in crypto media. The driver boasted about tripling his investment in an obscure cryptocurrency called Filecoin. For Aaron, a struggling filmmaker sleeping on friends’ couches after relocating from Ohio, this casual exchange sparked a revelation that would transform him and his twin brother Austin into cryptocurrency thought leaders.
Today, Altcoin Daily commands over 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and comparable followings across other platforms. The Arnold brothers deliver daily cryptocurrency updates spanning Bitcoin, Ethereum, altcoins, and NFTs, producing content with clockwork consistency regardless of market conditions. Their rise from entertainment industry outsiders to crypto influencers underscores the digital gold rush occurring not just in cryptocurrency trading but in content creation itself.
From Sleepless Nights to Digital Success
Aaron’s path to crypto prominence began with existential questioning. “I would spend many a sleepless night wondering what’s my purpose,” he revealed in a Cointelegraph interview. “It’s scary to look up at the stars and question whether you’re going to be able to help people.”
Born in August 1990 in Ohio, the Arnold twins relocated to Los Angeles in 2010 with filmmaking dreams. Aaron accumulated credits in national commercials and short films like “Splitting Image” (2017) and “Papua” (2018). When his girlfriend broke up with him, the newly available free time coincided with his cryptocurrency discovery.
In February 2018, after a year of self-education, Aaron launched the Altcoin Daily YouTube channel. His first video featured a simple introduction: “I’m just a normal guy been involved in the crypto space for over a year now.” After reaching 1,000 subscribers, he invited Austin to join the venture.
“I remember I told Austin, ‘Hey, I started this YouTube channel. You can do it with me. We have 1,000 subscribers,'” Aaron recounted. “And Austin interjected and said, ‘How many of those thousand subscribers did you pay for?’ because he couldn’t believe it.”
Building on Work Ethic and Consistency
The twins credit their father for instilling their relentless work ethic. “A lot of people now think it’s crazy that we make a video every day, but to me that’s not crazy. It’s just, ‘Hey, got to work every day,'” Aaron explained.
This consistency became their hallmark. “We drop a video every single day, rain or shine, bull or bear market,” Austin noted. Their signature greeting—”Welcome back everybody to Altcoin Daily”—opens each video, creating a reliable rhythm for viewers.
Their approach has yielded industry recognition, including “Influencer of the Year” and “Best Crypto YouTube News Channel” awards. Their estimated net worth reached approximately $5 million by 2023, with 93.3% held in cryptocurrencies, primarily Bitcoin and Ethereum, according to Coinweb.
The channel hasn’t avoided controversy. In July 2020, YouTube temporarily terminated Altcoin Daily for allegedly encouraging illegal activities. The platform was reinstated after community backlash and appeals, demonstrating their established influence within the crypto ecosystem.
Community Impact Beyond Markets
For the Arnold brothers, their platform’s most meaningful achievement transcends market analysis or subscriber counts.
“Somebody came up to me at a meetup and said, ‘Because of your channel and getting cryptocurrency information daily, me and my father have gotten much closer,'” Aaron shared. “In 2020, my mom passed away. She was very old. Anyway, my father and I had kind of like a falling out. And then my mom was gone. And then in 2021, my father and I solved our relationship and got a lot closer by just talking about your daily content every single day.'”
This human connection resonates deeply with the twins. “It’s great to hear that cryptocurrency or our content can bring people together,” Aaron reflected.
From being an unnamed Uber driver to industry-wide recognition, the Arnold brothers’ journey reflects broader cryptocurrency narratives about unexpected opportunities and transformative potential. Their Hollywood dreams may have faded, but the spotlight they found in crypto is even brighter, and their influence keeps growing.
“Being a crypto YouTuber or YouTuber in general wasn’t a possibility when I was a kid and I wanted to be an actor and filmmaker,” Aaron observed. “I would say I am living my dream right now.”
Austin concurred with crypto-tinged humor: “When I was growing up I wanted to be an astronaut, and turns out that I got to the Moon in another way.”
