How Much Ethereum Does Vitalik Buterin Actually Own?
An Arkham investigation sheds light on the co‑founder’s on‑chain holdings, recent activity and what the numbers mean for his net‑worth and the broader ETH ecosystem.
Snapshot of the wallet
- Current balance: ~240,000 ETH (≈ $467 million at the prevailing price of $1,940 per ETH).
- Largest individual holder: The balance makes Buterin the biggest accessible person‑owned wallet, ahead of all retail addresses but still far behind institutional custodians.
- Share of supply: The stake represents roughly 0.20 % of all ETH in circulation – a drop from the 0.91 % he owned in late‑2015.
The figures come from Arkham, a blockchain‑intelligence firm that tracks publicly visible assets on the Ethereum ledger. Their February 17 research report maps the evolution of Buterin’s portfolio from the network’s earliest days to the present.
A declining ETH position
When the Ethereum mainnet launched in July 2015, Buterin’s wallet held 662,810 ETH—a figure that, at the time, equated to just under 1 % of the total supply. Since then the balance has halved through a mixture of:
- Periodic sales – the co‑founder has moved ETH on the market several times, most recently a 16,384‑ETH withdrawal in late January 2026 (≈ $43 million) that he earmarked for open‑source infrastructure projects.
- Supply inflation – the protocol’s issuance schedule has added new ETH to the ecosystem, diluting the proportion of any fixed holding.
The net result is a current stake of 240,010 ETH, which still makes Buterin the most sizable individual holder whose private key is known to be operational.
Diversification (or lack thereof)
Unlike many blockchain entrepreneurs who have diversified into venture capital, equities or private‑company equity, Buterin’s publicly traceable portfolio remains overwhelmingly ETH‑centric:
| Token | Approx. amount | Approx. USD value* |
|---|---|---|
| WHITE | 10 billion | $1.2 M |
| MOODENG | 30 billion | $0.44 M |
| KNC | 869,509 | — |
| TORN (Tornado Cash) | $11 K | — |
*Values based on market prices at the time of Arkham’s report.
The modest holdings in other assets add only a fraction of a percent to his overall wealth; more than 99 % of his known net‑worth is still tied to ETH’s price.
Recent on‑chain moves
- January 2026: A sizable withdrawal of 16,384 ETH, routed to addresses associated with the Ethereum Foundation’s “mild austerity” initiative. The transaction, executed through the CoW Protocol, aimed to fund core open‑source projects while limiting market impact.
- Early February 2026: A three‑day sequence of 2,961 ETH sales (≈ $6.6 million) carried out via small swaps on CoW, again to keep slippage minimal.
These moves align with Buterin’s public statements that he would personally fund select Foundation activities as the organization trims its budget.
How the landscape looks
While an individual wallet such as Buterin’s can be significant, the top tier of ETH ownership is dominated by institutional entities and protocol‑level contracts:
- ETH2 beacon deposit contract: Holds > 60 % of all ETH, reflecting staking that secures the network.
- Major exchanges: Binance, Coinbase, Kraken and others each control sizable native balances for custodial services.
- Asset managers: BlackRock and other institutional funds have entered the space, further pushing the rank of “largest holder” to the corporate side.
The only other individual address that nominally outranks Buterin is that of Rain Lohmus, who is reported to own 250,000 ETH. However, Lohmus publicly admitted in 2023 that the private keys to that wallet are lost, rendering the assets effectively inaccessible.
Wealth trajectory tied to ETH price
Because ETH constitutes virtually the entire measured portion of his wealth, Buterin’s net‑worth mirrors the token’s market cycles:
- 2021 peak: When ETH breached $3,000, his holdings were worth roughly $2.09 billion, briefly placing him among the world’s cryptocurrency billionaires.
- 2022 bear market: A 75 % decline in price cut his valuation to under $500 million by the end of the year.
- 2025 resurgence: An August rally to ~$5,000 pushed his estimated net‑worth past $1 billion again, only to fall back as the price slipped beneath $2,000 in 2026.
The pattern underscores a fundamental point: unlike founders who have diversified into equity or cash, Buterin’s fortune is almost entirely liquid and protocol‑linked. It rises and falls with the same dynamics that affect every other ETH holder.
Key takeaways
| Takeaway | Implication |
|---|---|
| Largest accessible individual holder – ~240k ETH, ≈ 0.20 % of supply. | Highlights the concentration of wealth among a handful of active addresses, but also the dominance of institutional custodians. |
| Portfolio remains 99 % ETH – minimal exposure to other assets. | Any ETH price swing directly translates to changes in his net‑worth, increasing sensitivity to market volatility. |
| Recent sales are strategic, not panic‑driven – executed via low‑impact protocols. | Suggests a disciplined approach to funding foundation initiatives while attempting to avoid market disruption. |
| Wealth trajectory mirrors ETH price cycles – peaks and troughs line up with token movements. | Reinforces the narrative that many early crypto founders have wealth that is effectively “on‑chain” rather than diversified. |
| Institutional dominance in top‑ranked holdings – exchanges and staking contracts outrank individual wallets. | As Ethereum matures, the ecosystem’s capital distribution is shifting toward custodial and staking mechanisms. |
Outlook
Going forward, Vitalik Buterin’s publicly visible holdings will continue to be a barometer for Ethereum’s broader sentiment. As the network matures, the emphasis on staking and institutional custody may further dilute the relative influence of individual wallets. Meanwhile, Buterin’s willingness to liquidate portions of his stake for ecosystem‑building projects signals a commitment to the long‑term health of Ethereum, even at the cost of short‑term personal wealth.
For a deeper dive into the Arkham report, see the original research briefing (February 17, 2026).
Source: https://cryptopotato.com/inside-vitalik-buterins-wallet-how-much-ethereum-eth-does-he-actually-own/
