Vitalik Buterin created a ‘fellowship of the ring’ to build ethereum. But the founders have a history of feuds and are now competing for crypto dominance.

Vitalik Buterin has compared the eight founders of the ethereum blockchain to JRR Tolkien’s close-knit “fellowship of the ring”, according to the Financial Times.

Yet, the story of the group is one marked by feuds and competition, with two members splintering off to create ethereum rivals cardano and polkadot. Buterin recently said choosing seven other founders “nondiscriminately” to build the…