Behind Ethereum's Billion-Dollar Empire: The Eight Founders and Amir Chetrit's Early Vision

When Ethereum launched in 2015, it didn’t emerge from a single genius mind but rather from a collaborative effort of eight pioneering developers who laid the groundwork between 2013-2014. With an initial supply of 72 million ETH, these founding architects collectively retained approximately 11.9 million tokens (16.53%), making them key stakeholders in what would become a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem. Among these founders, Amir Chetrit represents an often-overlooked chapter of Ethereum’s origin story—a visionary who contributed during the project’s most experimental phase.

Vitalik Buterin: The Ethereum Visionary

At the core of Ethereum’s success stands Vitalik Buterin, the teenage prodigy who authored the white paper and spearheaded the development of the entire network. Currently maintaining approximately 240,000 ETH (worth over $1 billion), Buterin has dedicated himself to advancing Ethereum’s scalability and privacy through leading the Ethereum Foundation. His work on the Dencun and Prague upgrades demonstrates his commitment to solving the network’s most pressing challenges. Beyond technical improvements, Buterin has become known for his philanthropic efforts, regularly donating ETH to support open-source projects across the blockchain space.

Gavin Wood and the Cross-Chain Dream

Gavin Wood’s contributions to Ethereum extend far beyond the network itself. As the author of the yellow paper and creator of Solidity—the programming language that powers smart contracts—Wood established the technical foundation that made Ethereum accessible to developers worldwide. His vision evolved beyond Ethereum when he founded Polkadot and Kusama in 2016, pursuing his dream of a truly interoperable blockchain ecosystem. Through Parity Technologies, Wood continues driving cross-chain innovation, currently holding approximately 450,000 ETH, though his primary wealth derives from his substantial Polkadot holdings.

Charles Hoskinson’s Path from Ethereum to Cardano

Charles Hoskinson provided critical early funding to Ethereum before charting his own course. In 2017, he established Cardano, a blockchain platform emphasizing academic rigor and peer-reviewed research. As CEO of IOHK (Input Output Hong Kong), Hoskinson has focused on developing Hydra, Cardano’s scalability solution, while simultaneously promoting blockchain education initiatives across Africa. His ETH holdings of approximately 400,000 tokens represent a small portion of his wealth, which primarily centers on his significant ADA allocation.

Joseph Lubin: Building the ConsenSys Ecosystem

Joseph Lubin transformed from early Ethereum investor to ecosystem architect through founding ConsenSys, a venture studio that has incubated some of the most influential projects in crypto. His portfolio includes MetaMask, the wallet that onboarded millions to decentralized finance, and Infura, the infrastructure provider powering countless applications. Recently, Lubin expanded his influence by spearheading Linea, a Layer 2 scaling solution gaining momentum in the market. In May 2025, he was appointed chairman of SharpLink Gaming, signaling his diversification into gaming infrastructure. ConsenSys currently holds approximately 837,000 ETH, with Lubin’s personal net worth ranging between $4.5 and $5.5 billion.

The Quiet Contributors: Anthony Di Iorio, Mihai Alisie, and Amir Chetrit

While the names of Buterin and Wood dominate headlines, three other founders played equally vital roles during Ethereum’s formation. Anthony Di Iorio, an early investor who founded Decentral and the Jaxx wallet, made a strategic pivot toward health and charity work after 2019, maintaining a conservative position of 50,000-100,000 ETH. Mihai Alisie served as Vice President of the Ethereum Foundation while co-founding Bitcoin Magazine alongside Buterin, helping establish the intellectual foundations of the crypto movement. Currently, Alisie supports Akasha and European blockchain policy initiatives.

Amir Chetrit represents perhaps the most intriguing figure among the founders. During Ethereum’s critical early phases, Chetrit contributed despite holding only limited ETH compared to his peers. Unable to maintain the commitment required to see the project through its early challenges, Chetrit exited in 2014, just as Ethereum’s potential was beginning to crystallize. Today, he operates discreetly within the crypto space, supporting small-scale projects that align with his vision of decentralized innovation. His story exemplifies how timing and circumstances shape even the most ambitious technological ventures—Chetrit’s early departure meant he missed the exponential value appreciation that transformed other founders’ holdings into billion-dollar fortunes.

Jeffrey Wilcke and the Go-Ethereum Legacy

Jeffrey Wilcke’s technical contributions proved foundational to Ethereum’s success as the primary developer of Go-Ethereum, one of the network’s most important client implementations. His technical expertise powered the network’s infrastructure during critical growth phases. However, like several founders, Wilcke diversified his interests, pivoting toward blockchain gaming after 2017. A significant milestone came in 2025 when Wilcke transferred 106,000 ETH to an investment vehicle, receiving $262 million USD in the transaction. His accumulated sales exceeded 357,000 ETH, while he currently maintains approximately 96,000 ETH in holdings.

Where Are the Ethereum Eight Founders Now?

Today, the eight founders have collectively shaped not just Ethereum but the entire cryptocurrency landscape. Their individual paths diverged dramatically: some built competing ecosystems (Polkadot, Cardano), others created essential infrastructure (MetaMask, Infura), and still others pursued entirely different ventures. Their combined vision established the foundation for Ethereum’s current market capitalization exceeding $400 billion, demonstrating how early contributions to transformative technology compound exponentially over time.

As of February 2026, Ethereum continues navigating its evolution as a platform. With ETH trading at $2.12K (up 1.77% over 24 hours), the network remains a central pillar of the decentralized finance ecosystem. Whether examining the visionary leadership of Vitalik Buterin, the technical innovations of Gavin Wood, or the pragmatic early exit of Amir Chetrit, each founder’s journey reflects different choices about commitment, risk, and long-term vision in an industry still in its relative infancy.