Imagine being 19 years old and being responsible for one of the most important technological innovations that the world has seen in recent times.
Although most people of that age are usually immersed in their social and academic lives, this genius decided to take the road less traveled by leaving school, traveling, and making his project a reality.
The result? The world’s largest programmable blockchain in the form of Ethereum and the second-largest cryptocurrency to date, Ether, also known as ETH.
Without a doubt, this has put Buterin on the map as one of the most formidable figures in today’s world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
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Childhood
Vitaly Dmitriyevich “Vitalik” Buterin was born on January 31, 1994, in Kolomna, a Moscow Oblast, Russia. He moved to Canada with his parents when he was six years old.
Even at a young age, Buterin’s abilities when it came to mathematics, programming, and economics did not go unnoticed. He entered a program for gifted children when he was in third grade and spent four years at the Abelard School, a private institute in Toronto, where he sparked his interest in learning.
On the one hand, Buterin’s genius distinguished him from his peers, but on the other, he also liked to play video games, like any other child and was especially fond of World of Warcraft (WoW). However, he was greatly disappointed one night when the game developer removed the damage component of his favorite warlock’s Siphon Life ability.
This caused Buterin to leave World of Warcraft and realize the great power that centralized services can have over their users.
Bitcoin Beginnings
When Buterin first came across Bitcoin in 2011, he was only 17 years old and reportedly not a fan. Over time, as he got to know the project better, he became fascinated by what he could do.
It was this fascination with bitcoin that led him to search for jobs related to this cryptocurrency in various online forums. Since he didn’t have the computing power to mine or the money to buy cryptocurrencies, he ended up writing articles for a blog that paid him around 5 BTC per article, the equivalent of $5, at a time when bitcoin hit $1. for the first time.
Buterin’s keen interest in bitcoin, as well as the different economic, technological, and political aspects of cryptocurrency, is reflected in his articles, which eventually caught the attention of Mihai Alise, a Romania-based bitcoin enthusiast.
Together, Buterin and Alise created Bitcoin magazine at the end of 2011. As Buterin was writing and working almost more hours than he had in the day, he decided to drop out of school and focus on cryptocurrencies.
He also traveled the world to learn about various cryptocurrency projects, culminating in the birth of Ethereum, a cryptocurrency that is based on the Bitcoin blockchain but incorporates many more features.
Buterin would later compare Ethereum and Bitcoin to a smartphone and calculator. Like a pocket calculator, Bitcoin does one thing and it does it well. On the other hand, a smartphone allows users to install a calculator app and other apps with different functionalities. This is how Buterin conceived of Ethereum, as a more general use blockchain.
The Birth of Ethereum
2013 turned out to be a breakout year for Buterin, and hokkaido inu as it was when he first described Ethereum in a white paper. The project came to life in 2014, with Mihai Alise, Anthony Di Iorio, Charles Hoskinson, Joe Lubin, and Gavin Wood on the main team along with Buterin.
According to Buterin, he settled on the name “Ethereum” after browsing a list of science fiction items on Wikipedia in which he found the term “ether”, which gave him a pleasant sound and whose description as a “hypothetical invisible medium”.
Today, that relatively simple idea has made Ethereum one of the biggest projects in the crypto space, with numerous new projects built and under construction on the platform.
One of the most prominent projects to date using the Ethereum blockchain is NFTs or non-fungible tokens, a multi-billion dollar industry that will continue to grow in the coming months and years.
Also Read About: What is Ethereum?
Quick Facts about Vitalik Buterin
Cryptocurrency Donation: Vitalik Buterin donated a $1 billion Shiba Inu to an Indian Covid Relief Association in 2021.
Forbes: Vitalik Buterin was inducted into the prestigious Forbes “30 Under 30” list in 2018 and inducted into the “30 Under 30” Hall of Fame in 2021, in recognition of his contribution to the entertainment industry. cryptocurrencies and as one of the youngest crypto billionaires in the world
False Rumors of Death: On June 25, 2017, a rumor originating from 4Chan reported that Vitalik Buterin died in a car accident.
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