Exclusive Clip: In War-Torn Kyiv, Vitalik Buterin Makes the Case for Crypto’s Future

The deleted scene shows Fedorov and Buterin talking over a game of chess. In the early days of the invasion, Fedorov tells him, the country’s national bank had banned international transactions, so the Ukrainian government instead used crypto to receive funding and buy weapons and military supplies. “All of the first drones, lots of ammunition, arrived thanks to crypto,” Fedorov tells him. “We saved the lives of hundreds—maybe thousands of our military. So it was highly important.”
Buterin responds: “We love Ukraine… For the blockchain community itself, this was the first opportunity to make a real difference with blockchain and cryptocurrency.”
Later, when Fedorov points out that Ukrainians continue to live in the war-torn country, Buterin adds: “I think continuing real life means, even if I’m a good person, to show Putin a middle finger.”
Ingrasci says the clip didn’t make it into the final cut because the moment it depicts is referenced in other ways. “But I think it's the most important moment for Vitalik in our journey with him, because it’s this real world use case of how crypto can really make the world a better place,” he says.