Vitalik Buterin, the original Ethereum Blockchain creator, is one of the most recognizable figures in the cryptocurrency industry. He is often admired in the ecosystem for being highly technical, while also deeply philosophical about the role of technology in society. For those who do not closely follow Crypto, Bugerin firmly contrasts the stereotypical image of a striking multimillionaire of cryptocurrency with his minimalism in his personal style, as well as his geek and uncomfortable gestures.
The documentary “Vitalik: An Ethereum Story”, which is scheduled for the global launch on April 15, tries to take a look at those Bugerin aspects, after their early life and childhood in Russia, followed by emigrating with his family to Toronto, Canada, where his love for computers and technology began in his secondary school years.
In the center of Buterin’s life was the creation of Ethereum, which occurred after his early participation in the Bitcoin de Toronto community, where he saw the potential of the asset to give people a certain financial freedom. While thinking how these concepts could apply to other aspects of life, Bugerin set out to write a technical document about the creation of the Internet blockchain version.
Toronto has strong ties with the first days of Ethereum. It was home to some of the first Hackathons and meetings of Ethereum Developer organized by the Canadian co -founders of Ethereum in the city.
This year, Coendesk’s consensus 2025 takes place in Toronto from May 14 to 16, highlighting the vibrant cryptographic community of Canada.
The film walks through the various stages of Ethereum’s life, including the beginning of the network and the struggles that Buterin faced in its new leadership role, the boom of the block chain during the NFT era, the importance of fusion of the reduction of Ethereum energy consumption and the need for Butterin to help UKRAINE in its war with Russia through the implementation of Crypto for the implementation of Crypto for the implementation of Crypto for the implementation of Crypto.
Coendesk sat with the producers of the documentary, Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci, to listen about their perspectives on the creation of the film, before its global launch.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
COINDESK: Why did you want to make an Ethereum documentary?
Zach Ingrasci [ZI]: So Chris and I have been making documentaries together for 15 years. We make documentaries driven by the character. So I really love those human stories that give us an idea of people’s emotions and motivations in really interesting places.
We are not experts in encryption. We both study economy, so we understand a little of finance. But when we met Vitalik in 2021, I think he immediately clicks on our brains such as: “Oh, here is a story that breaks the stereotypes that the conventional audience of this space has.”
Quickly after meeting Vitalik, we did a Crowdfund NFT for the movie at Mirror.xyz, Peopleleser did the NFT. We basically raised the full budget of the film, and allowed us to create this independent story and approach to follow Vitalik worldwide, since he lives from a 40 -liter backpack.
How did they decided what parts of Ethereum’s story include in the history of Vitalik? A remarkable moment that I thought it was interesting that you were left not to include the 2016 DAO Hack? Why exclude that key moment in Ethereum’s story but leave at other times?
ZI: This is the challenge of making these films. We had a very broad mandate, following the community, not only focused on Vitalik. And then, after two years of filming, we realized that the type of narrative structure would only make sense if you could follow a person and then meet the community through their eyes.
Dao hack is very confusing to explain, so there is an element of what is important in its essence. And I think, you know, the moment for Vitalik deciding whether the Ethereum Foundation would be non -profit against profits is a very understandable concept for a conventional audience. They get it.
As he mentioned, he premiered a few months ago, and was only accessible to people in the chain. If the film is aimed at a conventional audience, why decide first launch it in the chain, instead of a transmission platform where more of those people can access it?
ZI: It is a practical answer. The document industry is broken, so an independent film premiere on a conventional platform does not even mean anything, unless it has a real marketing. And so, in reality, the launch in the chain, the NFT, the launch of the trailer in Zora, building the sponsorship of this conventional launch is fundamental.
Chris temple [CT]: People love the movie, has recovered behind it and has been interested and has been sharing it with their mothers, being: “Hey, this is what I do to make a living.”
This is not just our film, this film belongs to the community. And I think empowering people with him in that first step, and using the technology that the film was about felt very good for us.
How did you convince Vitalik to make the movie? He is not very re -re -reached with the media, so how did he get to do so?
ZI: I think we were very lucky in some way. This was before being on the first page of Time magazine. I think I was motivated to talk about how I thought it should be Ethereum’s future, and how to build it, and people should focus on building things that have a real world value.
So I think we found him at the perfect moment in which he and the people around him sought to have access to broader audiences.
I think that, ultimately, that is what makes us vitalik the perfect participant of a film, because his reluctance to be in that center of attention, that genuine authenticity. You can say about the movie that you are not trying to monopolize the attention center. This is something that feels uncomfortable, and something that has made a long journey so that he even finds where his voice is and how he should be.
CONNECTICUT: It was a very challenging production, more than any movie we have made, because Vitalik is nomadic, it is worldwide, and says: “I will be tomorrow in Montenegro … if you want to come.” We have to try to review immediately and make everyone there only to get those moments, even if they are just a couple of hours with Vitalik.
Recently, there have been a lot of leadership changes in the EF, and Vitalik has been in the center to make the decision on those changes. The film shows how uncomfortable it can be vitalik in the rise to that leadership and having to make central decisions as if the EF should be a non -profit organization against profit and with respect to some co -founders.
Given all the key decisions he has had to make in recent months and a key leader in Ethereum, what do you think he went through his mind and has become more comfortable in his leadership role?
ZI: I really can’t speak for Vitalik, but I think that’s why this movie has never been more relevant. Because if we are looking for an idea of how Vitalik thinks and what matters to him, I think what matters most is that Ethereum will be useful in the world.
There is an important appointment in the movie about “If Ethereum is only used to speculate, that is a great lost opportunity.” So it is not surprising that Vitalik did not go to the White House [to meet with President Trump]. Vitalik cares about how this tool will be used in the long term for a real and positive change in the world. He feels uncomfortable with the conflict, we know, we see it in the movie. So I can’t imagine that this has been an easy process for him.
But you can definitely say that you have begun to understand how to use your voice in this ecosystem and use your soft power.
Read more: Ethereum Foundation chooses new co-executive directors, following the reorganization of leadership
What was filming in Ukraine during the beginning of the Russian invasion? And why Vitalik feels so connected to that cause?
ZI: We have some experience in filming the borders of war areas. Fortunately, at that moment kyiv was relatively safe.
It really was Vitalik’s idea, he always wanted to support the computer pirates there. Vitalik simply felt that he could be there to support them, and it is something that matters so much for two reasons: 1) he actually has Ukrainian ancestry, and 2) coming from Russia, I think he regrets having met with Putin.
Then, there is also really one of the first concrete examples of real positive impact on the world, how cryptography is being used when the banking system was in chaos, and so quickly obtained money in the front lines.
There is a eliminated scene in which he plays chess with Fedorov, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine. But you know, Fedorov was talking about how 1000 of his military was saved because Vitalik of $ 100 million collected in cryptography were quickly mobilized.
What do you expect your audience to remove this movie?
CT: Documentaries are bad in information, but they are excellent for provoking questions and getting emotions. If we can inspire an audience to be smarter and think more critically about technology, not only at these extremes, everything is bad or good, but to understand a bit of that spectrum throughout the middle there, and see the positive and negative consequences of technology.
I think that type of technological optimism is the core of what this film really is treated. Help anyone apply those lessons, either within cryptography, within AI, because technology will continue to change and impact our lives.
The film is about Vitalik as a person, but also a little about Ethereum’s story. So Vitalik = Ethereum?
Zi: I don’t think it is, and I think that’s what I expected at this time. I hope that appears in the movie, and that’s why we call it a Ethereum Story, because I think he is one of the many that are counted. I think that’s where Vitalik has been successful because it is not Ethereum.
