Vitalik Buterin, the 31-year-old founder of Ethereum, is a leading figure in the crypto world. He championed the idea of using crypto and blockchains for purposes beyond just currency. Buterin also aimed to reduce his own prominence and encouraged the crypto community to focus on long-term goals rather than immediate gains.
The documentary Vitalik: An Ethereum Story chronicles Buterin’s journey as he tackles complex technical issues and promotes a decentralized technology that aims to reshape the world’s value system. Co-director Chris Temple notes that technology reflects the values of its creators. He contrasts Buterin’s leadership style with that of tech leaders like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos, who operate within centralized organizations.
Temple and co-director Zach Ingrasci spent two years filming Buterin, capturing moments that didn’t make the final 86-minute film. One such scene, exclusively shared with TIME, shows Buterin playing chess with Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, in Kyiv. The scene offers insight into Buterin’s ideology and his strong desire for crypto to have practical applications beyond speculation.
Buterin visited Ukraine in September 2022, six months after Russia’s invasion, which he strongly opposed. He personally donated millions to Ukrainian relief efforts. His support contributed to the nearly $100 million in crypto donations that flowed into Ukraine in the early days of the invasion, providing rapid relief and direct transactions.
The deleted scene features Fedorov and Buterin discussing the use of crypto during the war. Fedorov explains that when the national bank restricted international transactions, the Ukrainian government used crypto to secure funding for weapons and military supplies. He credits crypto with saving the lives of hundreds, possibly thousands, of soldiers.
Buterin expresses his support for Ukraine, stating that it was the blockchain community’s first opportunity to make a real difference using blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Later, Buterin adds that continuing life as normal, even showing defiance, is important in the face of Putin’s aggression.
Ingrasci explains that the scene was cut because the moment it depicts is conveyed in other parts of the film. However, he considers it a crucial moment in their journey with Buterin, highlighting a real-world example of how crypto can positively impact the world.
Vitalik: An Ethereum Story became available on VOD on April 15. TIME Studios was among the film’s production companies.
Andrew R. Chow’s book about crypto and Sam Bankman-Fried, Cryptomania, was .
