Ethereum, now the second-largest cryptocurrency with a $430 billion market cap, might never have existed if not for a frustrating moment in a video game. Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s creator, says the idea for the platform came after he quit playing World of Warcraft. In a post on his blog, Buterin shared that Blizzard nerfed his favorite Warlock spell, “Siphon Life,” which upset him so much he cried himself to sleep and then decided to walk away from the game entirely. That experience sparked his awareness of the risks of centralized platforms. From there, Buterin dove into cryptocurrency, first writing for Bitcoin-focused outlets and co-founding Bitcoin Magazine. He eventually dropped out of college after receiving a $100,000 grant from the Thiel Foundation and began developing what would become Ethereum. Buterin was frustrated with the limitations of existing crypto projects. He wanted a platform that was more flexible and application-agnostic. That led to the launch of Ethereum on July 30, 2015. Nearly a decade later, Ethereum powers thousands of decentralized apps and was central to the rise of NFTs. It’s a reminder that small moments—like a game update—can spark ideas that reshape entire industries.