Vitalik Buterin's mom promotes blockchain awareness via her CryptoChicks startup

Natalie Ameline, the mother of Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, is dedicated to raising cryptocurrency and blockchain literacy awareness globally.

According to CoinDesk, the co-founder of the Toronto-based CryptoChicks, a nonprofit blockchain education hub, said that her organization has run different programs in various countries including Canada and Pakistan.

The ex-financial analyst at Unilever has so far helped 608 students and junior developers learn more about crypto-related technology. The Canadian firm has partnered with crypto-focused website Blockgeeks, which is managed by her ex-husband Dmitry Buterin, to offer educational courses with topics ranging from basic introduction of Bitcoin to advanced lessons on smart contract programming.

Notably, CryptoChicks has been granted funding by established companies like Microsoft, IBM, Royal Bank of Canada to conduct coding workshops.

“We want to provide women and youth with the maximum opportunity to make their own choices,” Ameline said.

Meanwhile, the company’s co-founder Elena Sinelnikova said that while their education workshops are available for all genders, certain curricula are dedicated to female participants including young girls.

“One of our goals is to bring more women into the space, but we’re starting by focusing on youth,” Sinelnikova said. “That’s where girls disengage a bit and turn into different areas. That’s why we’re trying to get them involved early on.”

Founded in 2017, CryptoChicks has already received a total of $350,000 in donations, which has been used to fund different blockchain-focused educational conferences. In addition, the firm is seeking to secure $2 million to transform these events into long-standing programs, beginning with a mentorship program funding for delegates from Pakistan and the Bahamas hackathon this month.

Just recently, blockchain startup Ripple has also announced that it has expanded its University Blockchain Research Initiative (UBRI) to Japan, welcoming Kyoto University and the University to Tokyo to its roster of partners. The funding aims to help usher a new generation of professionals with knowledge about blockchain.