Vitalik Buterin

Formal First Name

Vitaly (Vitalik)

Links

Dates

1994 - present

Location

Vitalik Buterin is the Co-Founder of Ethereum, a revolutionary blockchain platform and second-largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin. He leads Ethereum’s research team, working on future versions of the Ethereum protocol. As one of the most influential figures in the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, Vitalik has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of decentralized applications and smart contracts. Beyond his technical contributions, he is a strong advocate for decentralization, open-source development, and using blockchain technology for social impact. Prior to Ethereum, Vitalik wrote for Bitcoin Magazine, which he launched with Mihai Alisie.

Asset Classes

Industries

	Financial Technology
	Information Technology & Services
	Software

Terms

Publications

Vitalik began the development of Ethereum in 2015 in order to introduce a blockchain network that supports decentralized applications, with the help of Gavin Wood and Joseph Lubin.
He is one of the main architects behind Ethereum and laid the foundations of Ethereum in 2013 when he was just 19, writing a white paper that outlined “a next-generation smart contract and decentralized application platform.”
Under his leadership, Ethereum introduced smart contracts and has been instrumental in the rise of decentralized finance and non-fungible tokens.
He has also been leading the transition to Ethereum 2.0, which introduced a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism.

Vitalik first heard about Bitcoin from his computer scientist father in 2011.
He had a short stint at the University of Waterloo but dropped out in 2014 after receiving $100,000 sponsorship from the Thiel fellowship.
His articles attracted the attention of Mihai Alisie, a Bitcoin enthusiast, which led to the two co-founding Bitcoin Magazine.
He made proper use of his writing instincts to publish a white paper on an idea he had: Ethereum, a cryptocurrency platform with new features that he missed in Bitcoin.
He became the world's youngest crypto billionaire at age 27 when Ether, Ethereum's native cryptocurrency, first crossed $3,000 per coin in May 2021.
In addition to his contribution to Ethereum, he has played a key role in promoting open standards and educating about blockchain.

RECOGNITIONS

PHILANTHROPY

Vitalkik is also known for his contributions to the development of the whole tech industry.
Some of his donations include $763,970 worth of ETH to the Machine Intelligence Research Institute and $2.4 million to the SENS Research Foundation.

MEDIA & APPEARANCES

Vitalik is also known for his thought leadership and public speaking engagements.
He has spoken at numerous conferences and events around the world, sharing his insights on blockchain technology, decentralisation, and the future of the internet.
He has been featured or profiled in Forbes, Bloomberg, Business Insider, CNBC, Time, Fortune, Wired, and more.
He has also been featured in Cointelegraph, CoinDesk, Blockworks, and Real Vision.

People