Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to have a meal with the man behind Ethereum? To have lunch with Vitalik Buterin is to enter a realm where the boundaries of innovation and intellect blur, where the crypto world’s brilliant architect becomes an approachable sage.
Picture, if you will, a rendezvous with a man whose very name is synonymous with blockchain wizardry. A luminary whose genius has reshaped the landscape of finance and technology. As I watch a few of the crypto best entrepreneurs dine with Vitalik Buterin, you can tell they are not merely sharing a table, but there’s a heavy crypto industry connection.
From where I sit, I can see Yaroslav Belkin, a project counterpart who is one of the speakers at the Binance Blockchain Week and DevConnect.
Lunch with Vitalik Buterin – Enchanted
Caption me enchanted and doubling with eavesdropping on an interesting conversation. This is not a simple lunch I am witnessing the co-founder of Ethereum have. Sitting at a table across from Vitalik at Café in Pera, Istanbul reinforces what we have always known about him – he is a humble genius.
And by the way, this is his first time in Turkey. As he explains this to those around him, he doesn’t consider connecting flights as a flight. He considers it as a layover.
Picture: Where the lunch took place.
Vitalik is an interesting tech guru. While listening to him, I fully grasp why Ethereum has grown to be what it is now. Vitalik is detailed, focused, and a man with preferences that are community-oriented.
From the go, Buterin has regular Turkish tea while waiting for food. As they pick out the menu, a discussion arises on Sushi, Sashimi, and Seviche. Do you share a love for Asian cuisine? It appears as though Vitalik does.
With Google’s help, here’s an Asian cuisine lesson I quickly took. Seviche, also spelled as ceviche, cebiche, sebiche, or seviche, is a popular dish with its roots in Peru. It typically consists of fresh fish or shellfish that are marinated in citrus juices, often lime or lemon juice, and seasoned with various ingredients.
Sashimi, unlike sushi, is not eaten with rice and is not accompanied by sauces or toppings. Sushi is made out of vinegared rice, various ingredients such as vegetables or fish, and seaweed. Sashimi is a raw beef or fish dish that is served without rice or other accompaniments.
Vitalik settled for grilled fish and a salad – then they continued a discussion on green tea and red wine’s influence on organism. We are not the only ones dealing with the climate change enigma.
Here’s something else I noted. With his aura, Vitalik is a here-and-now type of person. A café nearby is being heavily renovated, so decentralized finance conversation is constantly being broken up with at-work machines. But he doesn’t seem to be bothered at all or pay any attention to it – he is here for lunch and nothing more.
What is Vitalik doing in Istanbul?
Vitalik is in Turkey for obvious reasons – Zuzalu is his brainchild, an ultimate social experiment for the decentralized ecosystem. And DevConnect will hardly follow without his active participation. So, If you are around or just planning to come to Istanbul soon, you have a very possible opportunity to meet Vitalik yourself. Just pick a healthier food option ?
On matters of work, his laptop – where most of his Ethereum magic happens – runs on System76 and uses the Linux operating system. Linux is a widely used open-source operating system known for its stability and versatility – especially for tech developers.
Devconnect is a week-long gathering of independent Ethereum events to learn, share, and make progress together. It’s happening in Istanbul, Turkey, from November 13th to November 18th. If you are in Turkey, Meet the builders of Ethereum, and on the side, you can explore the rich history and culture of Istanbul.
The Zuzalu conference last took place in Montenegro. Now, it’s in Turkey from October 29th to November 11th.
What happens when you blend a crypto-conference with a rich Turkish history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture? We are soon to find out. I will keep you updated.
