# WHERE DOES ETHEREUM COME FROM

By [viko](https://paragraph.com/@viko) · 2021-11-24

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In November, 2013, computer programmer Vitalik Buterin proposed creating a blockchain program, a kind of digital ledger, similar to Bitcoin. The program would allow users to create applications, called _smart contracts_, that could perform various tasks, such as transferring digital currency without human intervention. Buterin used the name _Ethereum_ for the program and _ether_ for the cryptocurrency, drawing on associations a a substance once believed to permeate all space.

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*Originally published on [viko](https://paragraph.com/@viko/where-does-ethereum-come-from)*