Nobody talks about it too much, but the cryptocurrency growth comes from the launch and popularisation of Ethereum. The new environment has maximized the potential of blockchain in the fintech sphere. It gave rise to the launch of new startups and projects, which in turn attracted huge investments. So who is the creator and the main idea inspirer of Ethereum? You will find out in this article right now.

Who is Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin, a Canadian developer of Russian origin, is the creator of Ethereum. He became interested in cryptocurrencies in 2011, publishing Bitcoin Magazine for a while. That was also when he took a deep dive into programming and thought about creating an advanced blockchain-powered platform. Let’s talk more about his life.

Vitalik Buterin is from Kolomna in the Moscow region, Russia. He was born on 31 January 1994. In 2001, he decided to migrate with his family to Canada. When Vitalik left Russia he was less than 7 years old. Vitalik’s formative period coincided with the spread of Internet technology, in which the hero of our article fell in love. As a child, Buterin was able to solve mathematical tasks much faster than his peers. Already at the age of 10 Buterin could program in C++. While programming Vitalik read a lot of books.  He also became proficient in 3 languages – Russian, English, Chinese, and several programming languages.

Introduction to cryptocurrencies

Vitalik’s first experience with cryptocurrencies was in 2011 when his father told him about bitcoin. After studying currency technology and principles, Vitalik realized how it could make a significant breakthrough in financial payments. From that moment on a new stage started in Vitalik’s life. In the same year, together with his partner Mihai Alisie, Vitalik created “Bitcoin Magazine,” an online resource that reported on blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. He was the author and editor-in-chief of articles in his magazine. He stepped down as editor-in-chief in mid-2014. In addition to publishing articles in Bitcoin Magazine, Vitalik wrote articles for other resources devoted to cryptocurrencies. He was also an active participant in bitcoin forums. Soon Vitalik decided to quit the University of Waterloo, where he studied programming. During that time, he was getting 5 BTC ($3.5) per article. All this activity made Buterin famous after he started to travel around the world and meet crypto-enthusiasts.

Ethereum foundation

After his travels, Vitalik realized that the Bitcoin cryptocurrency was limited enough that he could not only improve but also expand it. So he created the Ethereum platform. After coming home, Buterin shared his ideas with other programming enthusiasts. Ethereum’s start-up took place in Tel Aviv, Israel. Vitalik found partners: Mihai Alisie, Enthony Di Iorio, Amir Chetrit and Charles Hoskinson. The majority of the software code for the platform was written by Gavin Wood, Joseph Lubin. Buterin and his team immersed themselves in the project. The first investor in the Ethereum blockchain platform was Peter Thiel. He is well known as a successful investor in Facebook and PayPal. He gave the developers $100,000 as a grant. The Ethereum project gradually evolved. Its team required even more money for maintenance and technical support. So Vitalik Buterin decided to raise funds for the development using crowdfunding. Eventually, they managed to raise $18 million. The official release of the Ethereum platform started on July 30, 2015. Society has repeatedly recognized Vitalik as one of the most influential individuals in the world, and he has received worldwide recognition.

However, Vitalik Buterin is also involved in charitable projects. He donates cryptocurrencies to many non-profit organizations. One of them is India COVID-Crypto Relief. About $1.14 billion has been transferred there in support to India in coronavirus control. In general, his donations to various foundations have exceeded $1.5 billion.