Vitalik Buterin offloads nearly $6.6m in ETH amid price decline

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has sold a significant amount of his personal ETH holdings over the past several days.

According to blockchain analytics shared by Lookonchain, Vitalik has offloaded 2,961.5 Ethereum (ETH), worth approximately $6.6 million, at an average price of around $2,228 per ETH. The selling is reported to be ongoing.

Lookonchain’s alert on X highlighted the on-chain movements from an address publicly associated with Vitalik, noting multiple smaller swap transactions likely routed through decentralized protocols to limit market impact.

This activity has coincided with increased market volatility. Ethereum was trading at $2,075 at press time, down 7.5% over the past 24 hours. ETH price has recently traded lower, and sales by major holders can influence short-term sentiment among traders.

Sales by founders and early contributors tend to draw heightened scrutiny in crypto markets, as they are often viewed as confidence signals rather than routine liquidity events. While the amount sold represents a small fraction of Ethereum’s total supply, on-chain transparency means such moves are immediately visible and widely discussed.

Vitalik Buterin’s ETH sales linked to planned long-term funding

The recent ETH sales are not an isolated or abrupt decision. Last week, Buterin publicly announced that he had set aside 16,384 ETH from his personal holdings, roughly $44–$45 million at current prices, to support long-term initiatives.

In a detailed post on X, Buterin said the allocation is part of his broader vision to fund open-source, secure, and verifiable technology, including infrastructure and public-goods research. The disclosure has led some market participants to view the recent sales as part of a planned funding strategy rather than a sudden sell-off.