On February 3rd, despite recent positive market sentiment and a rebound in Ethereum prices, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has sold over 700 ETH through multiple on-chain transactions, drawing significant market attention. On-chain data platforms show that Vitalik first sold 211.84 ETH for approximately 500,000 USDC, transferring all funds to his charitable organization Kanro. Subsequently, he continued to sell 493 ETH, bringing the total sold to 704.84 ETH, which is roughly $1.63 million at current prices.
It is worth noting that this is not a short-term risk-avoidance move but a long-term financial plan that has been in place for some time. Vitalik previously disclosed on social media that he has withdrawn 16,384 ETH for use in future years’ “special projects” and long-term missions. He stated that the Ethereum Foundation will enter a relatively restrained development phase, and he will personally undertake some innovation projects that were originally the Foundation’s responsibility.
These funds will support research and development in multiple cutting-edge areas, including financial infrastructure, communication systems, decentralized governance, operating systems, secure hardware, as well as public health and biotechnology. Vitalik also mentioned that he is exploring more secure decentralized staking mechanisms to provide a continuous funding source for long-term plans without relying on centralized platforms.
Kanro is a long-term charitable organization he supports, focusing on infectious disease prevention and public health research. As early as January 2025, Vitalik sold various tokens and donated the proceeds to this organization. The recent ETH sale continues this same funding approach.
In terms of holdings, Arkham data shows that Vitalik still holds approximately 235,268 ETH, with a market value of about $549 million. Although his crypto portfolio has significantly declined from its previous peak, this sale did not directly impact Ethereum’s price. As the second-largest asset by market cap, ETH continues to move with the overall market, rising about 5% in the past 24 hours and currently trading at approximately $2,312.
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