Vitalik Buterin pulls $17 million in ether as Ethereum Foundation tightens spending

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Vitalik Buterin pulls $17 million in ether as Ethereum Foundation tightens spending Ethereum’s co-founder said the $17.3 million withdrawal will support a broader “full-stack openness and verifiability” vision as the foundation tightens spending. By Oliver Knight | Edited by Shaurya Malwa Jan 30, 2026, 9:48 a.m. Make us preferred on Google Vitalik withdraws $17 million in ETH (Keystone/picturedesk.com/CC BY 4.0/Modified by CoinDesk) What to know : Vitalik Buterin withdrew 16,384 ETH, worth about $17.3 million at current prices, to deploy toward open-source security and privacy projects. The move comes as the Ethereum Foundation enters a period of “mild austerity” following a market drawdown. The foundation still holds roughly $558 million in crypto assets, according to Arkham. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation (EF) is entering a period of “mild austerity,” as it seeks to deliver an aggressive scaling roadmap while ensuring it can sustain itself over the long term. In a post on X , Buterin said he has personally withdrawn 16,384 ETH, worth roughly $17.3 million at current market prices, to support a broader effort to build an open-source, secure and verifiable “full stack” of software and hardware. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms & conditions and privacy policy . Ether ETH $ 2,727.43 was trading around $2,720 on Tuesday, down significantly from its October peak near $4,831, as crypto markets have pulled back in recent weeks. Buterin framed the initiative as extending beyond Ethereum itself, with potential applications across finance, communications, governance, operating systems and secure hardware. He also pointed to emerging areas such as biotech and public health, alongside privacy-preserving tools like encrypted messaging and local-first software. The Ethereum Foundation will remain focused on developing the blockchain, Buterin said, but with an emphasis on “Ethereum for people who need it” — prioritizing decentralization, self-sovereignty, privacy and security over corporate adoption. Buterin also said he is exploring decentralized staking options that could generate additional funding through staking rewards over time. The announcement comes as the Foundation holds about $558 million worth of crypto assets, according to blockchain analytics firm Arkham . Vitalik, meanwhile, holds $666 million . Ethereum Foundation Vitalik Buterin Ethereum News More For You Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture By CoinDesk Research Dec 30, 2025 Commissioned by Pudgy Penguins Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale. What to know : Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token. The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). 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