I just came across an article about Vitalik Buterin's life in Singapore, and it's quite interesting. After obtaining permanent residency in Singapore in 2023, this Ethereum founder has completely changed his lifestyle—completely overturning people's expectations of crypto billionaires.

What impressed me most is that this billionaire, worth 739 million Singapore dollars, lives in the Tiong Bahru public housing estate not far from the city center, with a monthly rent of only 5,000-7,000 SGD. Not a luxury mansion in Marina Bay, nor a high-end serviced apartment, just an ordinary low-rise apartment. Neighbors say he often wears flip-flops to buy coffee downstairs, and you wouldn't guess he's a billionaire.

His daily routine involves improving Ethereum proposals at Plain Vanilla Café or discussing zero-knowledge proofs at the blockchain lab at Nanyang Technological University. He commutes by subway, and some have seen him wearing headphones waiting for the train. He even retweeted this news on Twitter with the caption, "Mom, I made the news (because I took the subway)." This isn't marketing—it's his real lifestyle.

Interestingly, behind this personal minimalism is his generosity in charity. In 2021, he donated $1.2 billion worth of SHIB tokens to the India COVID Relief Fund, and in 2023, he donated $15 million to the Malaria Foundation. This "simple personal life, philanthropic generosity" style has earned him even more respect.

His work style in Singapore is also quite unique. Mornings are spent deeply studying cryptography papers or Ethereum upgrade proposals, while afternoons might involve discussions with the core development team about the Cancun upgrade or conversations with local scholars about game theory, post-quantum cryptography, or urban planning. Ethereum core developers say he gets straight to technical issues in meetings, never wasting time defending himself; if data proves he's wrong, he immediately changes his stance. This pragmatic approach has allowed Ethereum to continue its technological iteration even in bear markets, successfully completing the Shanghai upgrade in 2023.

What's even more interesting is that his interests go far beyond cryptocurrencies. He eats Hainanese chicken rice in ordinary food courts for just 4 SGD, discusses international politics or science fiction with friends, and has even interacted with Singaporean singer JJ Lin. His social circle includes regulators like the former MAS Chief FinTech Officer, as well as tech pioneers like Zilliqa founder.

This "stealth" choice isn't about avoidance but a conscious act of resistance. Amid the frenzy of the crypto industry—projects rushing to hype, market, and cash out—Vitalik Buterin remains committed to his identity as a cryptographer, focusing on the essence of technology. He doesn't need to be a performer in the spotlight because he has already proven that those who truly change the world are often those who know how to stay silent.

His life in Singapore is less about "seclusion" and more about a deliberate choice of simplicity. Rejecting the show-off culture of crypto billionaires, he dedicates himself to technological research, charity, and the simple joys of life. This may be the reason why Vitalik Buterin can maintain influence in the crypto world—amid technological fanaticism, preserving human integrity is more revolutionary than any disruptive innovation.