Vitalik Buterin (Ethereum Co-Founder)

Vitalik Buterin is a Russian-Canadian programmer best known as a co-founder of Ethereum, a popular blockchain platform that enables developers to create decentralized applications. Launched in 2015, Ethereum allows users to execute smart contracts—self-executing agreements with the terms directly written into code—without needing intermediaries. Buterin's vision was to expand the capabilities of blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies, allowing for innovations like decentralized finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). His work has significantly influenced the cryptocurrency landscape, promoting ideas of transparency, security, and decentralization.