From Teen Coder to Ethereum’s Visionary — Vitalik Buterin’s Journey
Back in 2011, a 17-year-old Canadian programmer named Vitalik Buterin stumbled upon Bitcoin. He was impressed — but he also saw its limits. Bitcoin was great for money, but what if blockchain could power anything?
Vitalik started small, writing articles for a Bitcoin blog, earning just a few $BTC each time (worth only a couple of dollars then). Instead of cashing out, he invested his time in learning every detail about crypto.
Two years later, he shared an idea in a white paper: Ethereum$ETH — a blockchain not only for payments, but for building decentralized applications. Critics called it unrealistic. He built it anyway.
By 2015, Ethereum was live. Today, it’s the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency and the foundation of NFTs, DeFi, and thousands of blockchain innovations.
Vitalik’s story isn’t just about wealth. He has donated hundreds of millions in crypto to charity, lives modestly, and stays focused on building the future he envisions — one where blockchain empowers millions.
