Vitalik Buterin Sells $14 Million in Ethereum

TLDR

• Buterin sold 6,899.5 ETH for approximately $14 million.
• ETH prices stabilized between $1,900-$1,970 after a 25% drop.
• 42% of Buterin’s planned 16,384 ETH sale has been executed.

Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, recently made significant ETH sales worth approximately $14 million. This sale involved around 6,899.5 ETH, sold at an average price of $2,052. The transactions, part of a larger planned sale of 16,384 ETH, left the remainder deposited into the DeFi platform, Aave.

The sales were carried out over a span of several days and included a notable transaction of 493 ETH, valued at approximately $1.16 million, completed within an eight-hour timeframe. Prior to this, Buterin had also sold about 2,961 ETH at $2,228 per ETH, bringing in roughly $6.6 million.

Ethereum Market Dynamics Amidst Stagnation

The sales by Buterin occurred against a backdrop of market stabilization in ETH prices, which have steadied near $1,900-$1,970 following a significant price drop of around 25% over the course of the week. Despite this stabilization, the relative strength index (RSI) of ETH remains near 41, indicating the asset might be oversold.

No public statements have been made by Buterin on this recent activity through his social media channels or blog. Observers often interpret such moves as related to operational funding or donations, given Buterin’s history of on-chain activity in these areas. More detailed on-chain analysis can help track these transactions.

Planned Transactions and On-Chain Implications

According to on-chain data, Buterin’s transactions involved multiple wallets, with about 42% of the planned 16,384 ETH sale executed, and 9,484.5 ETH directed to Aave for lending purposes. There were no reported changes to total value locked (TVL) or noticeable liquidity and staking flow shifts, which suggests the transactions’ market impact remains somewhat contained.

The ETH sales align with Buterin’s history of carrying out transactions under planned circumstances. For context, past events have seen Buterin making significant sells, such as a previous $7 million sale amidst ‘mild austerity’ plans. These sales often draw attention due to their symbolic value rather than market impact.

Broader Cryptocurrency Market and Institutional Activity

Beyond Buterin’s sales, the broader cryptocurrency market is seeing movements as well, including outflows in Ethereum spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which showed $80.79 million in outflows as of February 5, 2026. Bitcoin ETFs experienced even larger outflows totalling $434 million.

Despite these shifts in ETF holdings, there have been no correlating changes in regulatory or institutional policy from bodies such as the SEC or CFTC. Community sentiment, developer engagement, or market responses directly related to these events have also not been broadly noted on social platforms or developer forums.

Community Observations and Market Reactions

Market participants and analysts continue to monitor Ethereum’s co-founder’s on-chain activity closely. While detailed reactions from key opinion leaders within the crypto community have not been recorded, platforms that track blockchain transactions, like Lookonchain, have flagged these activities without providing speculative narratives.

As the situation evolves, investors and Ethereum users may find it useful to track these changes and explore how they might influence Ethereum prices. Meanwhile, the focus remains on the technical aspects and market analytics rather than direct community engagement or sentiment-driven shifts.