Ethereum co-founder Significant Buterin has offloaded a hefty 3,788 ETH over a three-day selling spree, worth approximately $7.3 million at the time of sale. The transactions, occurring between February 21-23, 2026, represent just a fraction of his massive holdings. But timing is everything, isn’t it? These sales happened while ETH was struggling around the $1,800 level.
This recent dump isn’t isolated. Buterin has actually sold more than 10,000 ETH since early February 2026, with total sales reaching $21.7 million at an average price of $2,027. Not exactly selling at the top, but not the bottom either.
Despite these moves, Buterin’s wallet still contains over 224,000 ETH, valued at a whopping $408-432 million. So yeah, he’s not exactly going broke anytime soon. The sales came from his wallet labeled essential.eth, which on-chain sleuths at Lookonchain and Arkham have been tracking obsessively.
Even with multi-million dollar sales, Buterin’s crypto vault remains packed with enough ETH to make Scrooge McDuck jealous.
The market hasn’t taken this news well. ETH has dropped 37-38% over the past month and sits 60% below its August 2025 all-time high. Ouch. Daily declines of 3.42% and weekly losses of 8% paint a pretty grim picture.
Meanwhile, the broader ETH market is getting hammered. A staggering $105.48 million in liquidations occurred over 24 hours, with bull traders taking the biggest hit—$81 million in long positions wiped out. That’s gotta hurt. For investors without clear investment goals, these dramatic market swings often lead to panic selling and poor decision-making during periods of high volatility.
Some community members are crying foul, criticizing Buterin for “dumping” his own project’s tokens. Others defend him, pointing to the Ethereum Foundation’s recent announcement of a “mild austerity” period and linking the sales to ecosystem funding efforts. Buterin himself has previously stated that perfect crypto security is unattainable, suggesting a pragmatic approach to blockchain management. Historically, Buterin’s sales have often been linked to charitable donations and supporting various ecosystem initiatives.
The Foundation has apparently earmarked funds for ecosystem growth, research grants, and open-source development. They’ve also staked 70,000 ETH for future projects.
Still, when the co-founder sells during a downtrend, people notice. And they’re not happy about it.
