Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has accelerated his selling spree.
He has now offloaded nearly $7.3 million worth of Ether in just 72 hours, according to on-chain analytics.
Data from the blockchain tracking firm Lookonchain reveals that Buterin sold a total of 3,788.57 ETH over the past three days. This aggressive liquidation comes amidst a broader market correction, fueling debate over whether the founder’s actions are contributing to the asset's bearish momentum.
The "mild austerity" sell-off
Earlier this month, Buterin announced that the Ethereum Foundation and his affiliated entities (such as Kanro) would be entering a period of "mild austerity."
This would require the liquidation of assets to fund ecosystem development, research grants, and open-source software initiatives.
However, the pace of the sales has caught traders off guard.
Lookonchain noted that Buterin is "selling ETH faster again," having already disposed of over 8,800 ETH (approx. $16–18 million) since the beginning of the month.
Just days prior to this latest 3,700 ETH sale, Buterin offloaded a separate batch of 1,869 ETH ($3.67M), which coincided with a 5.7% drop in Ethereum's price from $1,988 to $1,875.
Large transfers from Vitalik-labeled wallets often spook retail investors who interpret them as a lack of confidence in near-term price action.
Despite the heavy selling, Buterin remains one of the largest individual holders of the asset.
On-chain data from Arkham Intelligence indicates that his main wallet still holds over 224,000 ETH, valued at roughly $429 million.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov