On his 30th birthday, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin shared insights into his journey to becoming one of the most prominent figures in the crypto community. In a blog post titled “My Childhood Is Over,” Buterin reflected on his path to becoming a “crypto market idol” and also emphasized the importance and rapid development of the younger generation in the cryptocurrency industry.
Buterin recounted a memorable experience from the past two years when he witnessed many individuals significantly younger than himself taking on leadership roles in various projects. This reminded him of when, at their age, he was praised as a “young prodigy” changing the world, much like Mark Zuckerberg. He acknowledged that it’s now time for the next generation to step into the roles he once held.
Buterin also shared his evolving perspective on the world over the past decade. While in his youth, he considered mathematics as a representation of his identity and used math to solve most problems. Now, his primary concerns revolve around philosophical arguments in life and research into extending human longevity.
The main catalyst for this change in thinking was the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX empire, which made Buterin contemplate the potential downfall of key figures in the cryptocurrency market. It was the moment he realized that those he admired and looked up to over time had also “ceased to exist.”
Furthermore, Buterin described himself as a “mysterious” person, primarily focused on building his own plans and cautious about getting involved in the plans of others. This mindset stemmed from an event in 2017 when Buterin met Russian President Vladimir Putin, an experience that left him regretful as he realized that “most of his decisions regarding Ethereum came from the pressure and demands of others.”