Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin is a Russian-Canadian programmer and writer best known for co-founding Ethereum, a decentralized platform that enables the creation of smart contracts and decentralized applications (dapps). Born near Moscow, Russia, Buterin moved to Canada with his family at the age of six. He was introduced to Bitcoin by his father and later co-founded Bitcoin Magazine in 2012. Buterin is recognized for conceptualizing Ethereum as a "world computer" for dapps, significantly expanding blockchain's capabilities beyond what Bitcoin offered.

He wrote Ethereum's whitepaper in 2013, laying the groundwork for a blockchain with a built-in Turing-complete programming language. This innovation allowed developers to create a wide range of applications on the Ethereum platform. Ethereum's launch in 2015 marked a pivotal moment in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry, fostering innovation in decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and more.

Buterin is also known for his thought leadership in the blockchain space, having written extensively on topics like cryptography, scalability, and decentralized governance. He has been recognized as one of the most influential figures in the industry, with accolades such as being listed in Forbes' 30 Under 30 and Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. Additionally, Buterin is involved in philanthropic efforts, donating to causes like COVID-19 relief and AI safety.