Ethereum’s Founders Have a History of Feuds and Are Now Competing

Vitalik Buterin

Vitalik Buterin has compared the eight founders of the ethereum blockchain to JRR Tolkien’s close-knit “fellowship of the ring”, according to the Financial Times.

Yet, the story of the group is one marked by feuds and competition, with two members splintering off to create ethereum rivals cardano and polkadot. Buterin recently said choosing seven other founders “nondiscriminately” to build the network was his biggest regret.

The 27-year-old is one of the most famous figures in crypto, having come up with the idea for ethereum – a cryptocurrency network on which decentralized applications can be built – in 2013. He was just 19 at the time and 21 when ethereum launched in 2015.

Before that, Buterin had become a fan of bitcoin and crypto technology after being introduced to it by his dad, and went on to cofound Bitcoin Magazine. Buterin still works on the network, driving research and providing new ideas.