Vladimir Putin and Vitalik Buterin

The president of Russia briefly met with ethereum 

inventor Vitalik Buterin 

during an event last week.

The meeting between Buterin and president Vladimir Putin occurred at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which took place between 1st and 3rd June, following an address to a global group of chief executives.

According to the brief statement released on Friday by the Kremlin:

"Mr. Buterin described the opportunities for using the technologies he developed in Russia. The President supported the idea of establishing ties with possible Russian partners."

Buterin, who described the meeting as a "brief conversation" on Reddit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Putin’s meeting with global heads of business is notable to the blockchain community for reasons that go beyond the conversation with ethereum’s inventor. In a brief address, the president gave insight into multiple blockchain efforts happening within Russia.

From the Kremlin’s official translation of the address:

"We are doing a great deal to create a favorable business climate and above all to provide macroeconomic conditions for sustainable economic growth and a stable social system – so that working in Russia is beneficial and pleasant."

Ethereum now is second biggest cryptocurrency.