Documentary on Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin Raises $2M in 50 Hours

Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple, while filming another documentary, stumbled upon the idea to create a film about Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum. Their initial vision for the documentary evolved significantly as they began filming, leading them to capture a deeper, more human perspective on the world of cryptocurrency. This evolution is a common experience for filmmakers, who often start with a set of assumptions that are shattered once filming begins, leading to an entirely new direction for the project.

Ingrasci and Temple were inspired by Buterin's unique form of tech optimism and his commitment to decentralization. They found him to be humble, funny, and quirky, which broke their stereotypes about the crypto space. This inspiration led them to consider making a film about Buterin or the Ethereum community at large. However, they were not crypto-native filmmakers but individuals interested in technology and communities using technology in new ways.

To fund their documentary, Ingrasci and Temple launched a non-fungible token (NFT) crowdfunding campaign, raising almost $2 million in 50 hours. This allowed them to own the film without being beholden to any stakeholder, platform, or middleman. They spent over two years following Buterin around the world, including visits to Ukraine, Montenegro, Toronto, and Colombia. They also spent time with Buterin’s father and family members, diving into the history of his family emigrating from Russia to Canada.

The filmmakers aimed to create a piece accessible to a mainstream audience, translating the values and interesting things they saw in the Ethereum community in a way that a non-crypto native person could understand. They tested the documentary with people who knew nothing about crypto and found that when people could connect to someone like Buterin, it created an entry point to understand more abstract concepts. Buterin’s favorite scenes in the film were when he was drinking tea or making breakfast, showcasing his natural, quirky, and funny self.

During the filming, Buterin’s father shared stories about his son's childhood, including how Buterin built a 100-page manifesto for an imaginary world of bunnies at the age of seven. This anecdote helped people connect to the world of Ethereum as a new world being built. Buterin's visit to Ukraine during the war highlighted the real utility of Ethereum, as it helped mobilize funds quickly to the front lines, raising over $130 million for Ukraine to resist the invasion. This emotional moment showcased the power of Ethereum in a real-world scenario.

Buterin's struggle with speaking up on his values, especially when they differed from the dynamics of his social circles, added a humanizing element to the film. The documentary is not just about crypto; it's about the human stories that can resonate beyond the immediate environment of the film. The filmmakers used crypto-native tools for the distribution process, providing a real-world use case for other filmmakers on how they might find success by utilizing blockchain platforms for their own film projects.

The decentralized theatrical release of the film occurred in 24 countries and 30 cities all around the world on the same night. The filmmakers received positive reactions from people who felt seen and understood as technologists. The film is now available on mainstream platforms such as Apple and Prime Video, making it accessible to a wider audience. Buterin's belief that technology can be used to make our lives better, especially in a time of polarization and cynicism surrounding blockchain tech, is a central theme of the documentary.