{"id":104507,"date":"2023-09-21T12:04:12","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T12:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/?post_type=definition&#038;p=104507"},"modified":"2024-11-19T16:06:11","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T16:06:11","slug":"vitalik-buterin","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/vitalik-buterin","title":{"rendered":"Vitalik Buterin"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span id=\"who_is_vitalik_buterin\">Who is Vitalik Buterin?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Vitalik Buterin is a Russian-Canadian <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/6589\/computer-programmer\">computer programmer<\/a> and the mastermind behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/32571\/ethereum-cryptocurrency\">Ethereum<\/a> (ETH), who co-founded the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/30246\/blockchain\">blockchain<\/a> in early 2014.<\/p>\n<p>He is a prominent figure within the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/how-do-cryptocurrencies-work\/2\/34469\">crypto industry<\/a> and laid the foundations for the largest and most popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/32499\/smart-contract\">smart contract<\/a> platform in 2013 when he was just 19 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to launching Ethereum, Buterin was involved in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/27193\/bitcoin-btc\">Bitcoin<\/a> (BTC) community. He was a co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine, one of the oldest news and print magazine publishers covering Bitcoin and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/6702\/digital-currency\">digital currencies<\/a>, and also wrote articles for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/5411\/website\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Who-is-Vitalik-Buterin.jpg\" alt=\"Who is Vitalik Buterin?\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1230\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-357888\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Who-is-Vitalik-Buterin.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Who-is-Vitalik-Buterin-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Who-is-Vitalik-Buterin-1024x615.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Who-is-Vitalik-Buterin-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Who-is-Vitalik-Buterin-1536x923.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Who-is-Vitalik-Buterin-1200x721.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Who-is-Vitalik-Buterin-1980x1189.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\"  style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<h2><span id=\"key_takeaways\">Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Vitalik Buterin co-founded Ethereum which later went on to become the most valuable smart contract blockchain in the world.<\/li>\n<li>He received $100,000 from the Thiel Fellowship to focus on building Ethereum in 2014.<\/li>\n<li>In May 2021, Buterin became the world&#8217;s youngest crypto billionaire.<\/li>\n<li>As of mid-November 2024, Buterin&#8217;s known crypto holding is said to be worth around $840 million.<\/li>\n<li>ETH tokens made up over 90% of Vitalik Buterin&#8217;s known crypto holdings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div>\n    <section class=\"toc-sticky w-100 bg-white \">\n        <div class=\"toc-sticky__container container\">\n            <div class=\"toc-sticky__open d-flex align-items-end\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                 aria-controls=\"multiCollapse1\"\n                 data-bs-target=\"#multiCollapse1\">\n                <button\n                        class=\"btn btn-primary collapse-action-btn p-1 rounded-circle\"\n                        type=\"button\"\n                >\n                    <i class=\"icon-chevron-up\"><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n                <span id=\"toc-current-title\" class=\"d-flex align-items-center\">\n                    Table of Contents\n                <\/span>\n                <span class=\"toc-main-title-permanent\">Table of Contents<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div\n                    class=\"collapse my-3\"\n                    id=\"multiCollapse1\"\n            >\n                <ol class=\"StepProgress\">\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item current\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"who_is_vitalik_buterin\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"who_is_vitalik_buterin\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Who is Vitalik Buterin?<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"key_takeaways\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"key_takeaways\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Key Takeaways<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"early_life_and_education\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"early_life_and_education\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Early Life and Education<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"buterins_involvement_in_the_crypto_industry\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_involvement_in_the_crypto_industry\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Involvement in the Crypto Industry<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"buterins_launch_of_ethereum\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_launch_of_ethereum\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Launch of Ethereum<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"buterins_net_worth\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_net_worth\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Net Worth<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"buterins_awards_and_recognition\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_awards_and_recognition\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Awards and Recognition<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"buterins_philanthropic_efforts\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_philanthropic_efforts\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Philanthropic Efforts<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"the_bottom_line\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"the_bottom_line\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">The Bottom Line<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"faqs\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"faqs\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">FAQs<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                                                        <li class=\"StepProgress-item\">\n                                                <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                            <a data-id=\"references\"\n                               onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"references\")\n                               class=\"StepProgress-item__link\" data-level=\"2\">References<\/a>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                <\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n                <div class=\"toc-sticky__container__disperse\"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"toc-sticky__btn-top justify-content-center\">\n                    <button class=\"btn btn-link d-flex align-items-center\" onclick={btnTop()}><p>Show Full Guide<\/p><img decoding=\"async\"\n                                src=\"\/wp-content\/plugins\/table-of-contents\/assets\/images\/arrow-up-circle.svg\"\n                                alt=\"arrow-up-circle\">\n                    <\/button>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n    <div class=\"toc-sticky-list\">\n        <div class=\"toc-sticky__container container\">\n            <div class=\"toc-sticky__open d-flex align-items-end\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" aria-controls=\"multiCollapse2\" data-bs-target=\"#multiCollapse2\">\n                <button class=\"btn btn-primary collapse-action-btn p-1 rounded-circle\"\n                        type=\"button\">\n                    <i class=\"icon-chevron-up up\"><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n                <span id=\"toc-current-title\" class=\"d-flex align-items-center\">\n                    Table of Contents\n                <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div  class=\"collapse my-3\" id=\"multiCollapse2\">\n                <ol class=\"StepProgress\">\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t                                                     <li class=\"StepProgress-item current \">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"who_is_vitalik_buterin\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"who_is_vitalik_buterin\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Who is Vitalik Buterin?<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t                                                     <li class=\"StepProgress-item \">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"key_takeaways\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"key_takeaways\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Key Takeaways<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t                                                     <li class=\"StepProgress-item \">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"early_life_and_education\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"early_life_and_education\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Early Life and Education<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <span class=\"show_moretoc\">Show Full Guide<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"buterins_involvement_in_the_crypto_industry\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_involvement_in_the_crypto_industry\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Involvement in the Crypto Industry<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"buterins_launch_of_ethereum\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_launch_of_ethereum\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Launch of Ethereum<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"buterins_net_worth\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_net_worth\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Net Worth<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"buterins_awards_and_recognition\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_awards_and_recognition\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Awards and Recognition<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"buterins_philanthropic_efforts\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"buterins_philanthropic_efforts\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">Buterin's Philanthropic Efforts<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"the_bottom_line\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"the_bottom_line\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">The Bottom Line<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"faqs\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"faqs\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">FAQs<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                    \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t  \t\t\t\t\t                                                      <li class=\"StepProgress-item ms_hidetoc\">\n                                                    <div class=\"StepProgress-item__group\">\n                                <a data-id=\"references\"\n                                   onclick=handleScrollToTitle(\"references\")\n                                   class=\"StepProgress-item__link\"\n                                   data-level=\"2\">References<\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                                                    <\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n            <\/div>\n            <div 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pageLegendCollapse);\n\tjQuery('span.show_moretoc').click(function(){\n\t\tjQuery('span.show_moretoc').hide();\n\t   jQuery('.ms_hidetoc').show();\n\t});\n    });\n\n    \/\/ When the user clicks on the button, scroll to the top of the document\n    function btnTop() {\n        const pageLegend = document.querySelector('#multiCollapse1');\n        document.querySelector('html').classList.remove('overflow-hidden');\n        pageLegend.classList.remove('overflow-auto');\n        pageLegend.style.height = 'auto';\n        window.scrollTo({\n            top: 0,\n            behavior: 'smooth'\n        });\n    }\n\n    const handleScrollToTitle = (id) => {\n        const el = document.getElementById(id);\n        const headerHeightDifference = window.innerWidth < 992 ? -30 : -15;\n        window.scrollTo({\n            top: el.offsetTop - 60 - headerHeightDifference - 10,\n        });\n    }\n<\/script>\n\n<h2><span id=\"early_life_and_education\">Early Life and Education<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Born on January 31, 1994, in Kolomna, Moscow Oblast, Russia, Buterin&#8217;s life took a turn when his parents made the decision to immigrate to Canada in search of better employment opportunities, according to his <a href=\"https:\/\/about.me\/vitalik_buterin\" target=\"_blank\">about.me page<\/a>. At the time, Buterin was only six years old.<\/p>\n<p>Buterin&#8217;s exceptional abilities became apparent early in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/transforming-education-ai-powered-personalized-learning-revolution\">educational journey<\/a>. During his third year of primary school, he was placed in a program for gifted students, which set him apart from his peers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This young prodigy could add three-digit numbers in his head twice as fast as the average person of his age. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cExcel was his favorite toy,&quot; his dad said. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/b4MvP9tYHK\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/b4MvP9tYHK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Shubham Gupta (@shubhh_hum) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shubhh_hum\/status\/1555450082756988931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">August 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>With a natural affinity for math and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/13128\/programming\">programming<\/a>, a keen interest in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/2\/29464\/it-business\/enterprise-applications\/why-cloud-computing-could-mean-major-economic-growth\">economics<\/a>, and an astonishing ability to mentally calculate three-digit numbers twice as fast as his peers, Buterin stood out as a prodigious intellect.<\/p>\n<p>However, his exceptional abilities also made him somewhat of an outsider in social settings and extracurricular activities. People often regarded him as a math genius, a label that further emphasized his unique capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Vitalik Buterin&#8217;s education continued at the Abelard School, a private high school in Toronto, where he spent four years. It was at Abelard that his perception of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/tag\/education\">education<\/a> underwent a profound shift, helping him develop a thirst for knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>During this period, Buterin also found solace in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/metaverse-gaming-the-future-of-these-brave-new-virtual-worlds\">virtual world of gaming<\/a>. From 2007 to 2010, he immersed himself in the popular game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/world-of-warcraft-the-war-within-release-date\">World of Warcraft<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, when the game&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/17095\/developer\">developer<\/a>, Blizzard, made changes that negatively impacted his favorite character&#8217;s abilities, Buterin realized the flaws of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/26507\/centralized-computing\">centralized systems<\/a>. As a result, he decided to quit World of Warcraft while recognizing the importance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/decentralization\">decentralization<\/a> and the need for better alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>After high school, Buterin attended the University of Waterloo. There, he took advanced courses and was a research assistant for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/job-role-cryptographer\/2\/34169\">cryptographer<\/a> Ian Goldberg, who co-created Off-the-Record Messaging and was the former board of directors chairman of the Tor Project. In 2012, Buterin won a bronze medal in the International Olympiad in Informatics in Italy.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"buterins_involvement_in_the_crypto_industry\">Buterin&#8217;s Involvement in the Crypto Industry<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Buterin initially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/cryptocurrency\/how-to-buy-bitcoin\">learned about Bitcoin<\/a> from his father, Dimitry Buterin, at the age of 17. However, his involvement in the crypto industry began after he joined a publication called Bitcoin Weekly in 2011, where he agreed to write articles <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/cryptocurrency\/best-crypto-affiliate-programs\">in exchange for BTC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Later, while pursuing Computer Sc. at the Univ of Waterloo, Vitalik discovered BTC through his father in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>A currency with a value but no physical backing didn&#39;t make any sense to him initially.<\/p>\n<p>However, his interest in this experimental economy just kept increasing. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/b3qF5CES57\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/b3qF5CES57<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Shubham Gupta (@shubhh_hum) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shubhh_hum\/status\/1555450107276845056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">August 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The owner, who met Buterin on a Bitcoin forum, offered five BTC (about $3.50 at the time) in compensation per article. Buterin wrote for the site until it shut down due to insufficient revenue.<\/p>\n<p>In September 2011, Mihai Alisie, a Romanian technology &amp; media entrepreneur and blockchain enthusiast, reached out to Buterin about starting a new print publication called Bitcoin Magazine. He accepted a position as the first co-founder and a leading writer in the publication.<\/p>\n<p>While working for Bitcoin Magazine, Buterin landed a job at Ripple. However, their proposed employment fell apart after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/what-is-ripple-xrp-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know\">Ripple<\/a> was unable to support a U.S. visa for him. The crypto veteran also held a position on the editorial board of Ledger, a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/23367\/digital-asset\">digital assets<\/a>, in 2016.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"buterins_launch_of_ethereum\">Buterin&#8217;s Launch of Ethereum<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In late 2013, Buterin published the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/ethereums-birthday-special-commemorating-8-years-of-decentralization\">Ethereum whitepaper<\/a>. Titled &#8220;A Next-Generation Smart Contract and Decentralized Application Platform,&#8221; the whitepaper outlined his proposal for a blockchain-based platform that would enable the creation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/33409\/decentralized-application-dapp\">decentralized applications<\/a> (dApps) and smart contracts.<\/p>\n<p>The primary idea was to create a new blockchain that would support more complex applications beyond simple transactions. While Bitcoin was revolutionary in its ability to facilitate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/454\/peer-to-peer-architecture-p2p-architecture\">peer-to-peer<\/a> (P2P) payments, its scripting language was limited in functionality.<\/p>\n<p>To pitch his idea to the Bitcoin community and garner support for Ethereum, Buterin embarked on a series of presentations and engagements at various Bitcoin conferences and meetups. He highlighted the limitations of Bitcoin&#8217;s scripting language and emphasized the need for a more expressive and programmable platform.<\/p>\n<p>Buterin&#8217;s deep understanding of blockchain technology and his ability to articulate the potential benefits of Ethereum resonated with many in the Bitcoin community who shared his vision.<\/p>\n<p>In early 2014, Buterin co-founded Ethereum with a group of like-minded individuals, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/gavin-wood\">Gavin Wood<\/a>, Anthony Di Iorio, Charles Hoskinson, and Joseph Lubin. They launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the development of Ethereum, offering ETH tokens in exchange for Bitcoin.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In 2013, 19-year-old Vitalik Buterin published a white paper proposing Ethereum. <\/p>\n<p>Soon, he was able to build a core team of 8. <\/p>\n<p>He also received a Peter Theil&#39;s scholarship worth $100,000 which he used to fund his project. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hGE9QmIgUN\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/hGE9QmIgUN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Shubham Gupta (@shubhh_hum) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shubhh_hum\/status\/1555450133235392512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">August 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The campaign proved to be a remarkable success, raising over $18 million worth of Bitcoin. With the funds raised, Buterin and the Ethereum team began developing the platform, building upon the ideas and concepts outlined in the whitepaper.<\/p>\n<p>They focused on creating a blockchain infrastructure that would support the execution of smart contracts and decentralized applications. Ethereum introduced a new programming language called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/solidity\">Solidity<\/a>, specifically designed for writing smart contracts on the platform.<\/p>\n<p>In July 2015, Ethereum went live with the release of the Frontier network, marking the initial implementation of the platform. Since then, Ethereum has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/ethereum-roadmap-how-will-it-achieve-global-scale-to-become-a-world-computer\">evolved through several upgrades<\/a>, including the Metropolis, Constantinople, Istanbul hard forks, and, most importantly, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/1217\/merge\">Merge<\/a>, each enhancing the platform&#8217;s capabilities and scalability.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"buterins_net_worth\">Buterin&#8217;s Net Worth<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In May 2021, Buterin became the world&#8217;s youngest crypto billionaire when the price of ETH crossed above $3,000 for the first time. Vitalik Buterin&#8217;s age was 27 at the time<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As of mid-November 2024, the Ethereum founder&#8217;s crypto holding is said to be worth around $840 million, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/app.nansen.ai\/profiler?entity=Vitalik+Buterin&amp;chain=ethereum&amp;tab=overview\" target=\"_blank\">Nansen&#8217;s estimates<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>ETH tokens made up over 90% of Vitalik Buterin&#8217;s Ethereum wallet address holdings. Buterin also held <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/usd-coin-usdc\">USDC stablecoins<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/wrapped-ether-weth\">WETH tokens<\/a>, and several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/meme-coin-memecoin\">memecoins<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Readers should keep in mind that it is difficult to accurately know Vitalik Buterin&#8217;s total net worth.<\/p>\n<p>Crypto users tend to hold crypto assets across multiple wallets and centralized exchanges. Furthermore, the lack of public knowledge about Buterin&#8217;s non-crypto assets, such as cash, equity holdings, and properties, adds to the obscurity.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"buterins_awards_and_recognition\">Buterin&#8217;s Awards and Recognition<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>In <strong>2014<\/strong>, Vitalik Buterin was awarded the Thiel Fellowship, a financial aid created by billionaire Peter Thiel, to focus on building the Ethereum blockchain.<\/li>\n<li>In <strong>2016<\/strong>, Fortune featured Buterin in the <i>Fortune 40 under 40<\/i> list. Later, in 2018, Forbes featured Buterin in the <i>Forbes 30 under 30 <\/i>list.<\/li>\n<li>In <strong>2018<\/strong>, the Ethereum creator <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190703152038\/https:\/\/cif.unibas.ch\/en\/blog\/details\/news\/vitalik-buterin-receives-honorary-doctorate\/\" target=\"_blank\">received<\/a> an honorary doctorate from the University of Basel.<\/li>\n<li>In <strong>2021<\/strong>, Buterin was named on <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/100-most-influential-people-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\">Time magazine&#8217;s list<\/a> of the 100 most influential people in the world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span id=\"buterins_philanthropic_efforts\">Buterin&#8217;s Philanthropic Efforts<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Buterin is an active crypto philanthropist. In 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CryptoRelief_\/status\/1392559057764962304\" target=\"_blank\">donated<\/a> over 50.693 trillion Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens to a community-run relief fund in India called Crypto Relief India.<\/p>\n<p>As of November 2024, Buterin&#8217;s SHIB donation was worth over $1.231 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Buterin has also donated to support Ukrainians suffering in the Russo-Ukrainian War through an organization called the Ukraine DAO.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Buterin has also donated cryptocurrencies to the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, SENS Research Foundation, and Methuselah Foundation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">An opportunity to support Ukrainians here! Proceeds go to civilian efforts helping Ukrainians suffering from the war. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GD7Qlw61nT\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/t.co\/GD7Qlw61nT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VitalikButerin\/status\/1497632851445043200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">February 26, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"the_bottom_line\">The Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Over the years, Buterin has emerged as one of the most influential voices in the crypto industry. His blog posts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/ethereum-roadmap-how-will-it-achieve-global-scale-to-become-a-world-computer\">Ethereum roadmap<\/a> constantly make the headlines as crypto enthusiasts look to understand how the world&#8217;s most valuable smart contract platform will evolve with time.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"faqs\">FAQs<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"man_faq_sec\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\"><\/time><section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">What is Vitalik Buterin famous for?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">Vitalik Buterin is famous for co-founding the Ethereum blockchain. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">How much Ethereum does Vitalik own?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">According to Nansen, Buterin\u2019s known crypto wallet held 268,051 ETH tokens worth over $825 million as of November 18, 2024. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">Is Vitalik Buterin a billionaire?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">As of mid-November 2024, the Ethereum founder\u2019s crypto holding is said to be worth around $840 million, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/app.nansen.ai\/profiler?entity=Vitalik+Buterin&chain=ethereum&tab=overview\" target=\"_blank\">Nansen\u2019s estimates<\/a>. Readers should keep in mind that it is difficult to accurately know Vitalik Buterin\u2019s total net worth. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">How did Vitalik build Ethereum?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">In late 2013, Buterin published the Ethereum whitepaper. In early 2014, Buterin co-founded Ethereum with a group of like-minded individuals, including Gavin Wood, Anthony Di Iorio, Charles Hoskinson, and Joseph Lubin. They launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the development of Ethereum, offering ETH tokens in exchange for Bitcoin. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">Where does Vitalik Buterin live?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">According to Buterin\u2019s about.me page, he lives in Zug, Switzerland. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"ms_faq ms_card \" ><div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><div class=\"accordionButton\"><h3 itemprop=\"name\">How old is Vitalik Buterin?<\/h3> <\/div>\n<div class=\"accordionContent\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"display:none;\"><p itemprop=\"text\">As of November 2024, Buterin was 30 years old. <\/p>\r\n                <\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<div class=\"reference-content\">\n<div class=\"reference-heading reference-content-collapsible-heading\">\n<h2><span id=\"references\">References<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"reference-content-body\">\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/about.me\/vitalik_buterin\" target=\"_blank\">Vitalik Buterin &#8211; Zug, Switzerland, Egora, KryptoKit, Ethereum, Bitcoin Magazine, Cryptocurrency Research Group, University of Waterloo, The Abelard School, Life | about.me<\/a> (About)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/app.nansen.ai\/profiler?entity=Vitalik+Buterin&amp;chain=ethereum&amp;tab=overview\" target=\"_blank\">Nansen Profiler | Analyze Any Wallet or Entity | Nansen<\/a> (App.nansen)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190703152038\/https:\/\/cif.unibas.ch\/en\/blog\/details\/news\/vitalik-buterin-receives-honorary-doctorate\/\" target=\"_blank\">Details | Center for Innovative Finance<\/a> (Web.archive)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/100-most-influential-people-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\">TIME100: The Most Influential People of 2021 | TIME<\/a> (Time)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CryptoRelief_\/status\/1392559057764962304\" target=\"_blank\">CryptoRelief <\/a> (X)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who is Vitalik Buterin? Vitalik Buterin is a Russian-Canadian computer programmer and the mastermind behind Ethereum (ETH), who co-founded the blockchain in early 2014. He is a prominent figure within the crypto industry and laid the foundations for the largest and most popular smart contract platform in 2013 when he was just 19 years old. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":286557,"featured_media":357887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"definitioncat":[271],"class_list":["post-104507","definition","type-definition","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","definitioncat-blockchain"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v24.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Who is Vitalik Buterin? 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