Who proposed Ethereum in a 2013 white paper?

Vitalik Buterin proposed Ethereum in a 2013 white paper.

Buterin was a programmer and writer who had become involved with Bitcoin and its community. He argued that a blockchain could support more than payments if it included a general-purpose programming environment. His proposal described Ethereum as a platform for decentralized applications and smart contracts.

Ethereum was not created by Buterin alone. Other early contributors included Gavin Wood, Joseph Lubin, Charles Hoskinson, Anthony Di Iorio, and Mihai Alisie. Buterin’s role was proposing the project and helping lead its early development, while Wood wrote the Ethereum Yellow Paper and became its first chief technology officer. Ethereum’s public network launched in 2015, following a 2014 crowdsale. The project is therefore different from Bitcoin in both origin and intended functionality: Bitcoin primarily introduced a decentralized digital currency, while Ethereum focused on programmable blockchain applications.