Vitalik Buterin's ETH Sales Reach 35 Million, Exceeding Planned 16384 ETH

TLDR

Table of Contents

Buterin sold 17,196 ETH since early February worth about $35M
Sales exceeded his disclosed 16,384 ETH allocation by 4.9%
ETH fell 37% in the past month despite recent price rebound
Buterin wallets declined from 241,000 ETH to 223,804 ETH

Vitalik Buterin has sold 17,196 ETH since early February, valued at about $35 million. The total exceeds the 16,384 ETH allocation he disclosed in January for funding open-source technology projects.

Blockchain data from Arkham, flagged by Lookonchain, shows continuous ETH outflows from his wallets. The sales represent a 4.9% increase above the planned withdrawal he announced earlier this year.

Sales exceed initial funding threshold

In January, Buterin said he had allocated 16,384 ETH, then valued at about $45 million. He described the move as his “own share of the austerity” during a period of reduced spending.

The Ethereum Foundation had entered what he called a phase of “mild austerity.” The focus was on long-term sustainability and core protocol development.

Vitalik has sold another $2,832,000 in $ETH in the past few hours and $38,211,000 in ETH this month.
Initially he planned to sell 16,384 ETH.
But when Vitalik saw Ethereum was up 10% in a day for the first time in 4.5 months, he was unable to stop himself and dumped an extra… pic.twitter.com/8KpTQ8w8RS
— Ted (@TedPillows) February 26, 2026

The recent sales now total 17,196 ETH. That figure surpasses the original funding threshold by nearly five percent.

Lookonchain reported additional token sales within the past 24 hours. These transactions pushed the total value to around $35 million.

Wallet balances decline through February

Data shows Buterin-linked wallets held about 241,000 ETH at the start of February. That balance has declined to 223,804 ETH due to steady outflows. The reductions include $6.6 million sold during a three-day period earlier this month.

Another $7 million was sold during the most recent three days. The token he has been selling has fallen more than 37% over the past month. ETH faced continued price pressure during much of February.

More than 30% of ETH supply remains locked in staking contracts. Staking returns have compressed to around 2.8%, according to available data.

Market reaction and price movements

Some earlier sales coincided with short-term price declines. During a prior sale of 6,958 ETH for $14.78 million, ETH dropped 22.7%. The price moved from $2,360 to $1,825 during that period. Another sale of 1,869 ETH preceded a 5.7% decline.

In contrast, the most recent tranche occurred during a price rebound.
Over the last 24 hours, ETH gained nearly 10%. ETH rose from a daily low of $1,816 to as high as $2,100.

The gains outpaced bitcoin, XRP, and BNB during the same session. Market observers noted that price action diverged from prior patterns. Recent selling activity did not trigger an immediate downturn.

Multi-year funding plan for open-source systems

Buterin stated that the funds would support privacy-focused systems. He outlined plans to build an open-source and verifiable full stack. The funding will target sectors such as finance and communication.

Governance systems and operating systems are also included. He also mentioned secure hardware and biotech applications. The capital is expected to be deployed over several years.

Buterin framed the allocation as a personal contribution. He said it aligns with the Ethereum Foundation’s financial discipline. The total ETH sold now stands above the originally disclosed allocation. The development marks a continuation of the planned funding strategy.