Celebrated Canadian photographer Andrew Miller has announced an exclusive auction of the first professional and never-before-sold portrait of Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, symbolized as an NFT. The auction coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Ethereum concept, the open-source, decentralized blockchain recognized worldwide for its smart contract functionality.
The auction begins July 1 and continues through July 30 on Manifold.xyz, providing a unique opportunity for collectors to secure a piece of Ethereum’s early history. The starting bid is pegged at 333 ETH.
Speaking to Crypto, Miller shared details of the backstory behind the photo:
“This auction is an attempt to commemorate and update the history of Ethereum; who never acknowledged that I made these iconic portraits. I was there at the beginning when the white paper was still being drafted, gifted the photos to a fined teenager and literally gave him the shirt off my own back. After making these portraits, I lost track of Vitalik and Ethereum, only vaguely aware of their meteoric rise. I have only just begun to discover the role my images played in building trust in him and therefore in Ethereum.
I made the portraits as a gift for Vitalik’s non-commercial blog, but I suspected that the Ethereum team would need these quality photos for commercial purposes. I detailed the license and copyright buyout terms to Vitalik and co-founder Anthony Di Iorio at the time, and the payment of copyright was briefly discussed in ETH. ETH would not be first produced until months later. It seemed our lives went in different directions at this point, leaving behind the fact that it would have resulted in 3225 ETH.
I sent questions to the founders of Ethereum about whether they believed they had bought the copyright or whether they had deliberately misused my portraits.”
In 2014, Buterin, then just 19, piqued Miller’s curiosity with his vision of a decentralized future. Inspired by the potential he saw in the teenager, Miller created a series of portraits that would significantly contribute to Buterin’s public image and perception of Ethereum.
Encadrium studio here in #Montreal is hosting my brilliant print from @VitalikButerin while my reserve 333 ETH auction is going on at https://t.co/AcnXi0XTY9
Runs until the end of July. #nft #ethereum #art #history #portrait pic.twitter.com/6EEh86Lr15— Andrew Miller (@awesomephoto2) July 6, 2023
For Miller, these portraits became more than mere visual representations of Buterin. They captured a crucial transformation. “He presented himself as a shy and socially naive teenager, but there was an intriguing spark about him…when he talked about a future that included his idea of Ethereum, his stooped posture straightened as his chin tilted up,” Miller said.
The photographer highlighted the broader story surrounding the auction, stressing that it’s not just about acquiring a valuable NFT. Instead, the portrait symbolizes Ethereum’s remarkable journey, capturing the collective effort that has shaped its success.
These portraits have become synonymous with Buterin, symbolic in media, memes and derivative art, and continue to build trust and recognition around Ethereum. Now that Ethereum is a leading smart contract platform, the auction of this emblematic piece is likely to spark the interest of crypto enthusiasts, traders, and institutions alike.