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.
