May 13, 2021

Russian-Canadian Now 27-Year-Old Billionaire


Russian-Canadian Now 27-Year-Old Billionaire
The world's cutest crypto billionaire, Vitalik Buterin. Wikimedia Commons user Romanpoet

The founder of Ethereum, the second cryptocurrency after Bitcoin, just became the world's youngest crypto billionaire at twenty-seven. He is a Russian-born Canadian, sporting the cute name Vitalik Buterin and looking about as cute as Soviet cartoon hero Cheburashka.

Buterin does not pull in a huge salary as Ethereum founder; rather, he held onto 333,500 Ethers when he started the cryptocurrency, each of which is now worth $3,500. That is enough to put him just above the $1 billion mark as of early May 2021.

Born and raised to age six in Kolomna, Russia, Buterin attended the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, but he dropped out. He was encouraged to drop out by being awarded a Thiel Fellowship: "$100,000 to young people who want to build new things instead of sitting in a classroom." Nailed it.

The total value of what Vitalik built (all Ethers in circulation) is $403 billion as of early May.

Although Bitcoin is the more popular cryptocurrency, its founder is unknown, referred to as Satoshi Nakamoto. Thus, it is fair to say that Vitalik is the face of global cryptocurrency since Satoshi doesn't have a face.

For one of the world's most talented programmers, Buterin has a hilariously simple personal website, at https://vitalik.ca/.

You Might Also Like

Hacking into the Mainframe
  • May 11, 2021

Hacking into the Mainframe

Don your fingerless gloves, put on your dark sunglasses, and grab your trusty black Anonymous hoodie: a new study reveals Russians are just as sloppy with their internet security as the rest of us.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955