Ethereum’s Russian-born cofounder Vitalik Buterin is continuing to quietly support Ukraine as the war there stretches into its second month.
The “world’s youngest crypto billionaire” donated $5 million to Ukraine relief this week. On April 4, Buterin sent 750 Ether, or about $2.5 million, to the Aid for Ukraine initiative, which was created by the Ukraine government, and another 750 Ether (in two transactions of 250 Ether and 500 Ether) to the Unchain Fund, a charity created to support Ukraine with humanitarian aid.
Buterin’s donations can be seen on Etherscan, which displays cryptocurrency transactions, under his Ethereum domain name, vitalik.eth.
However, Buterin didn’t publicly announce his contributions. Rather, they were publicized by the organizations that received them.
Alex Bornyakov, deputy minister of digital transformation for Ukraine, tweeted his thanks on Wednesday.
“I couldn’t be more grateful for every crypto donation to our lifesaving initiative @_AidForUkraine,” Bornyakov wrote on Twitter. “It really helps to strength our country and protect the democratic values. Special thanks to @VitalikButerin for standing with @Ukraine.”
The Unchain Fund and Aid for Ukraine accounts also mentioned the donation on social media, adding that Buterin “didn’t say a word!”
Buterin and his father, Dmitry, have previously donated to relief efforts in Ukraine. Both have supported the Ukraine DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization raising funds for Ukrainians. Alona Shevchenko, founder of the Ukraine DAO, previously told Coins2Day that she spoke with Buterin on the phone, saying he was “very empathetic.”
Along with Buterin, Dmitry joined the DAO’s multisig, helped write its manifesto, and enabled it to continue providing aid to those in need, Dmitry previously confirmed to Coins2Day.
Buterin openly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin in February, in the early days of the invasion.
“This is a crime against the Ukrainian and Russian people,” he wrote on Twitter. “Reminder: Ethereum is neutral, but I am not.”
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