Behind the Code, There’s a Conscience

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MOVIE REVIEW
Vitalik: An Ethereum Story
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Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 26m
Director(s): Zach Ingrasci, Chris Temple
Where to Watch: Available on VOD April 15, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: In a landscape where tech stories usually get filtered through flashy edits and charismatic soundbites with swelling scores, VITALIK: AN ETHEREUM STORY breaks the mold. It trades grandiosity for introspection, ambition for uncertainty, and curated myth for messy, human reality. This isn’t about hype—it’s about what happens after the hype fades and the questions get harder to dodge.

Rather than promoting Ethereum as a flashy innovation, the film centers on the mind behind it—Vitalik Buterin—and how the quiet force of his intellect clashed with the noise of the very thing he built. From the first moments, it’s clear this isn’t trying to ride the crypto wave for easy headlines. Instead, it zooms in on the tension of a man still trying to make sense of his place despite creating a digital empire.

The movie has all the makings of a character-driven drama: an unlikely protagonist, a high-stakes world, and a series of personal reckonings disguised as tech decisions. Directors Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple lean into these elements, not by dramatizing Buterin’s life but by observing it. They follow him across continents—from intimate family moments to war-torn zones—capturing not just the rise of Ethereum but the emotional wear and tear it leaves on its creator. The framing choice makes the story feel personal even when the subject matter veers toward the abstract.

There’s no traditional hero arc here, which feels like a purposeful choice. Instead of building to a triumphant finale or moment of redemption, the documentary allows Buterin’s contradictions to linger. We see him uncomfortable in interviews and awkward in public appearances yet deeply concerned about the unintended consequences of the tech he helped unleash. That tension becomes the film's throughline: Can someone lead a decentralized movement without becoming a reluctant symbol of centralization?

The film succeeds in capturing this awkward tug-of-war. Buterin is portrayed not as a visionary with all the answers but as someone often overwhelmed by the machine around him. It’s a grounded performance—presented with clarity. The filmmakers opt for vérité over voiceover, letting the audience piece together their conclusions from the quiet beats between conversations and public speeches.

What’s most compelling is how the project avoids blindly championing its subject. There’s admiration here, sure, but it’s tempered by awareness. Ethereum’s history hasn’t been spotless. From financial manipulation to tech disasters, the platform’s evolution hasn’t always mirrored Buterin’s ideals. Events like the DAO hack and the NFT explosion are addressed but could’ve used more weight in the storytelling.

The film’s restraint is advantageous, especially when it brings supporting perspectives. Hearing from Buterin’s father and a handful of collaborators adds a valuable counterpoint to his solitary journey. These perspectives keep the focus grounded and prevent the narrative from collapsing into a one-person success story.

Ethereum’s influence is global, and with that comes a lot of noise—regulatory battles, scams, and a constant tug-of-war between decentralization and profit. While the film hints at these broader themes, it never digs too deeply. The aftermath of Ethereum’s chaos is there but blurred. But the filmmakers weren’t aiming to dissect crypto line by line. Their real interest lies in examining what happens when someone creates something bigger than themselves—and what it feels like to carry that responsibility. VITALIK: AN ETHEREUM STORY doesn’t try to make crypto cool. It doesn’t even really try to explain it. Instead, it offers a human lens on innovation, filtered through self-doubt, unintended consequences, and a quietly radical belief that technology should be a public good.

It’s easy to watch documentaries like this and expect clarity, conclusions, or even inspiration. This one offers something different: reflection. It’s a meditative piece that invites viewers to sit with ambiguity rather than resolve it. It may frustrate those who want hard answers about Web 3.0 or solid lines between hero and antihero. But for everyone else—especially those more interested in the humans behind the headlines—it’s a welcome departure from the usual.

There’s a version of this movie that could’ve leaned harder into exposé or built more tension around crypto’s global rise and fall. That version would probably hit different beats, but it wouldn’t have told ‘this’ story. This version is quieter, less flashy, and occasionally cautious. But that caution gives it a sincerity most tech docs leave behind.

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[photo courtesy of GRAVITAS VENTURES]

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