Who Is… Vitalik Buterin?
Who is Vitalik Buterin? If you don’t know what Ethereum is, or Bitcoin for that matter, (not wanting to start the whole Bitcoin vs Ethereum debate) then you would walk past him in the street. Period. However, this average kind of dude has recently been cited on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. Alongside such household names as Joe Jonas (former Disney star), America’s newest music talent, Khalid and (once upon a time)… Facebook’s very own Mark Zuckerberg. So why then, is Vitalik Buterin not a household name as well?
What we know about him
In the beginning
In 1994 Vitalik was born in Kolomna, Russia, to Dmitry and Natalia Buterin. At the age of 6, Vitalik was moved to Canada where he was raised and educated. By this point he was already being hailed a child genius. With a private school education in Toronto, Vitalik was able to further hone his intellectual skill. He claims his education to be the best years of his life. We will see.
Early adopter
His father is said to have introduced him to Bitcoin. Then in 2013, Vitalik produced the Ethereum white paper. In 2014, after receiving $100,000 as part of the Thiel Fellowship, Vitalik dropped out of school to work on Ethereum full time. Ethereum is considered his ‘baby’. He is the face, the brains and the prophesied ‘one true voice’ of the Ethereum community.
Ethereum
Since it’s humble beginnings in 2015, Ethereum has evolved and grown immensely. Despite a contentious hard-fork in 2016 following the aftermath of the DAO (whereby Ethereum Classic was spawned) Ethereum has continued on it’s own path to technological greatness.
Regulation
With an ever-expanding crypto market and tighter regulation on the horizon, could Vitalik’s Ethereum fall victim to “The Man”? Recently, the crypto rumour mill was in overdrive with talk of a supposed SEC meeting. The threat of Ethereum being designated a security in the US never materialised and supporters in all camps are left to wonder about what will happen next. Could the Ethereum project be shut down over night, with a simple signature on a piece of US Government headed paper?
The Engine Room
Vitalik is Ethereum’s engine. He is the driving force pushing the vehicle forward in every way possible. Without his vision and magnificent IQ where would Ethereum be? Unlike Bitcoin’s mysterious upbringing and ghostly creator, Satoshi Nakamoto (read the ‘Who is’ blog here…) Ethereum’s history and development are bona fide and clear for all to see. Meanwhile, Satoshi’s dream is becoming ever more ambiguous with every Bitcoin fork and continued cultist in-fighting. Vitalik is a figurehead – a proud one, ready to lead his newly established clan of fanatical supporters into cryptographic battle.
Vitalik (@VitalikButerin) is an avid Twitter user. With over 700,000 followers and swiftly rising, his community reach is a large one. He shares regular interactions with his community of supporters and haters alike. You will see him involved in debates and discussions with other crypto influencers, and big names within the cryptosphere. A recent spat with Justin Sun (CEO of TRON) gave many on twitter a small amount of entertainment.
More often, however, Vitalik shares his thoughts on the wider crypto space with a rather philosophical outlook. He preaches wisdom about the space and the shape of the wider economic world.
‘Were those that were involved in this digital mass movement really pleased with the progress so far?’
This prompted many to see a humility and realistic perspective informing his crypto vision. He is often outspoken on many subjects (including political agendas) which is truly in keeping with the spirit of Bitcoin: Anarchism.
In person
I am sure meeting Vitalik would be a pleasure. He obviously shows a clear knowledge of the blockchain space, having written a large portion of what it is today (most of the alt coins available are built on the ERC-20 Ethereum protocol). But is he the type of character you would associate with a MULTI-BILLION dollar company? $$$!
Millennial
I recently watched an interview with Vitalik. He acknowledged and answered every question with the upmost thought and precision. But he struggled to make eye contact with his interviewer. This type of autistic tendency could be considered ‘difficult’ to those that don’t understand. However these social traits are becoming increasingly common amongst the new breed of millennials, unable to communicate unless it is through a screen or keyboard. It would seem then, potentially mad to some, that Vitalik Buterin, is at the helm of a world changing company.
Having brought up my personal feelings on his intimate social interactions, I have also spent time watching him at conferences. He seems relatively at ease in front of a large audience. He gives concise explanations to problems which need solving, and deciphers questions which would otherwise stump the most eloquent of experienced public speakers. It shows why he has been described as the brain child of Einstein and Gates.
https://ethereum.org/
What or who will Vitalik Buterin become?
A mining era
From a computer or mobile phone, we are now able to do more. There is no need to go out grocery shopping. No need to go on a high school date to the pictures. The people who are able to bring about this technology will become the new rich and famous. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates may not have been from an era of steel engines, smoke or mining; but rather the new age of whizz kids like Vitalik Buterin will come from a tech-dustrious era of mining; in a completely different sense.
Fancy a pint old chap?
Could I see myself sitting in a pub having a pint with someone like Vitalik? Probably not. We are two completely different people, our minds think in completely different ways. He is a chap whose mind works best with 1’s and 0’s. Where there is always a numerical solution to everything, and that makes sense. I cannot read or write code and I do not share his intellectual genius. We would probably sit in perplexed silences as I am unable to comprehend what would most likely sound like a foreign language. However if given the chance, I wouldn’t turn it down. Some people make an impact on your life. I would love to chat about everything other than crypto. Try and give the guy a day off for a change! – When moon sir?!
Vitalik who?
I asked at the beginning, why is Vitalik Buterin not a household name? Well you can mark these words; like Bill Gates, like Steve Jobs, like Mark Zuckerberg…
If you would be kind enough to like, comment, share and subscribe I would be very grateful. Thanks!
A quick personal word to say a massive thanks to Scott Wehman for helping me out. I am new to blogging/article writing. And without his help and advice this piece would still be in edit for another 4 months!
Written By:
T – @DaveDustpan