Vitalik Buterin Sells 17,196 ETH, Sparking Market Discussions Amid Ethereum Rally

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-02-26Last updated on 2026-02-26

Abstract

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has sold 17,196 ETH worth approximately $34.96 million, exceeding his previously announced plan to sell 16,384 ETH. The sales occurred amid an 8% price surge for Ethereum over 24 hours, sparking discussions among traders regarding his broader strategy. Buterin stated that these sales are not for personal profit or market timing but to fund long-term projects aligned with his vision for Ethereum. Despite recent gains, with ETH trading around $2,053 and daily volume up 61%, the price remains 30% lower over the month. Significant liquidations, mostly from short positions, and a rise in open interest indicate heightened market activity.

Vitalik Buterin is continuously selling ETH beyond his selling plan, as he sold more than $34 million in Ethereum. The latest sales occurred as Ethereum gained more than 8% in the past 24 hours, indicating a resurgence of positive momentum, and causing debates among traders over Buterin’s broader strategy.

The blockchain analytics platform, Lookonchain, reported today that Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has continued selling ETH, with his cumulative sales reaching 17,196 ETH worth of $34.96 million.

As Buterin’s current total sales already surpass his previously planned sales of 16,384 ETH. On January 30, Buterin shared a post on X and said that the planning isn’t about personal profit or market timing, it’s about funding long-term projects aligned with his vision of Ethereum and broader digital autonomy.

With that, Buterin’s recent excess ETH sales created a discussion on whether additional ETH sales could follow and what the broader strategy behind the transactions could be. According to previous sales data, Buterin sold around 3,788.57 ETH, worth $7.3 million, nearly three days before February 24, while ETH was trading lower at around $1,820.

ETH Market Movements

While writing the article, Ethereum is trading at $2,053.87, as the daily trading volume surged 61.47%, reaching towards $30.78 billion, which outperforms Bitcoin, XRP, and BNB. With that, it has increased by around 4% over the past week. But, in the broader sense, the price remains weak by 30% down over the month.

Ethereum’s total liquidations in the last 24 hours are $203.29 million, of which the majority were wiped out through short positions around $176.56 million, which indicates that bearish traders were largely caught. Meanwhile, open interest has climbed nearly 16%, pointing to a significant increase in active futures contracts.

Even during these gains, ETHZilla announced that it will rebrand as Forum Markets, shifting to a treasury-focused model centered on holding Ethereum, as the move follows a slump in crypto prices that caused the company’s shares to collapse.

Highlighted Crypto News:

Investors Show Increased Risk Appetite After BTC Price Nears $69k

TagsCryptocurrencyETHvitalik Buterin

Trending Cryptos

Related Questions

QHow much ETH did Vitalik Buterin sell, and what was its total value?

AVitalik Buterin sold 17,196 ETH, with a total value of $34.96 million.

QWhat reason did Vitalik Buterin give for his ETH sales according to his post on X?

AHe stated that the sales were not for personal profit or market timing, but to fund long-term projects aligned with his vision for Ethereum and broader digital autonomy.

QWhat was the price of Ethereum at the time the article was written, and what was its 24-hour trading volume?

AAt the time of writing, Ethereum was trading at $2,053.87, with a 24-hour trading volume of $30.78 billion.

QWhat was the total value of liquidations in the Ethereum market in the last 24 hours, and what type of positions made up the majority?

AThe total value of liquidations was $203.29 million, with the majority ($176.56 million) being short positions.

QWhat significant company announcement was made regarding Ethereum during this period?

AETHZilla announced it would rebrand as Forum Markets and shift to a treasury-focused model centered on holding Ethereum.

Related Reads

In Jinjiang, Fujian, a Storage Super Unicorn Lies Quiet

In Fujian's Jinjiang, a city known for sportswear, lies a quiet semiconductor giant: Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co. (JHICC). Once a promising domestic DRAM manufacturer alongside Yangtze Memory and ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), its journey was derailed in 2018 when the U.S. placed it on an Entity List and filed criminal charges for alleged trade secret theft. This halted production for years. A turning point came in February 2024 when a U.S. federal court found JHICC not guilty. However, it had lost crucial time. While CXMT soared to become a top-valued A-share company in 2024, JHICC, with an estimated valuation of 80 billion RMB, was just restarting. Its current output is primarily customized DDR4 chips, not the advanced DDR5/HBM demanded for AI, but it still benefits from the broader memory chip upcycle. JHICC's story is tied to Chen Zhengkun, a veteran engineer who left Micron to lead the venture. Founded in 2016 with state-backed funding, JHICC partnered with Taiwan's UMC to develop DRAM technology. Rapid progress was cut short by the U.S. actions, which Micron initiated, partly due to its heavy reliance on the Chinese market. Post-sanctions, Chen's team worked to rebuild the production line with reduced reliance on U.S. technology. According to its records, JHICC achieved small-scale production and revenue growth under immense pressure. It now focuses on the stable "niche" DRAM market (e.g., TVs, routers) with a monthly capacity of ~40,000 wafers, aiming for 60,000 by 2026. It holds over 1,000 patents but remains on the Entity List. For Jinjiang, investing in JHICC was a bold industrial leap. The local government provided unwavering financial and logistical support during the crisis, helping the company survive. JHICC has become the anchor for a growing local semiconductor cluster. Though its scale lags behind domestic peers, JHICC's persistence symbolizes a hard-won foothold in a global market long dominated by Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. Having missed one boom, it seeks a place in the new AI-driven memory supercycle.

marsbit46m ago

In Jinjiang, Fujian, a Storage Super Unicorn Lies Quiet

marsbit46m ago

Trading

Spot

Hot Articles

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of ETH (ETH) are presented below.

活动图片