Cryptocurrency

Ethereum Fell Below $2,000. How Much ETH Does Vitalik Buterin Still Hold?

By Sam Daodu
Published November 12, 2026, 1:14pm ET · 2 min read

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A close-up, slightly angled photograph of a gold-colored Ethereum coin with the word 'ethereum' inscribed at the bottom. Behind it, a blurred stack of gold coins is visible. In the out-of-focus background, green and red candlestick charts represent market data.
An Ethereum coin takes center stage, set against a backdrop of fluctuating market charts, reflecting the cryptocurrency's current price movements and potential shifts detailed in the accompanying analysis. © Momentum studio / Shutterstock.com

Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) fell below $2,000, reducing the value of Vitalik Buterin’s ETH holdings. ETH trades at $1,995, down 4.1% over the past day. Because Buterin co-founded Ethereum and is one of the most recognized figures in crypto after Satoshi Nakamoto, many investors closely monitor his wallet activity. So how much ETH does he still own?

Arkham Estimates Buterin’s Public Wallets Hold About 224,000 ETH

A silver-colored Ethereum coin with a gold logo and 'ethereum' text rests on a black keyboard. Adjacent to it, a smartphone screen displays a financial candlestick chart with red and green bars, alongside visible numbers from a calculator interface.

Alexandru Nika / Shutterstock.com

According to Arkham Intelligence, a blockchain analytics company, Vitalik Buterin’s public wallets contained about 224,000 ETH as of May. At $1,995, that amounts to roughly $447 million. However, Arkham’s estimate only includes wallets publicly linked to him. It doesn’t count ETH in wallets not linked to his identity, and the figure is about six months old.

Buterin’s ETH balance has been decreasing. At the end of 2025, his public wallets held 240,010 ETH, meaning about 16,000 ETH left them in the first five months of 2026. On-chain watchers track big wallets closely, as a long-dormant wallet that moved 2,155 ETH showed.

Buterin’s ETH Was Worth About $1.1 Billion at Ethereum’s Peak

A golden Ethereum cryptocurrency coin with the Ethereum logo and 'ethereum' text is in sharp focus in the foreground, placed among other out-of-focus gold coins. The background is a blurred digital screen displaying a cryptocurrency or stock market chart with prominent red and green lines representing price fluctuations against a dark blue and black background.

Alexandru Nika / Shutterstock.com

Ethereum reached an all-time high of $4,946 on August 24, 2025. At that price, Buterin’s 224,000 ETH would have been worth about $1.1 billion. With ETH at $1,995, those same coins are worth about $660 million less.

ETH trades 59.7% below its peak and has declined 32.7% in 2026. In the past week alone, it has dropped 12.5%, signaling sustained selling.

Buterin Funds Projects and Says the Fee Burn Was Never a Price Floor

A silver Ethereum coin with a gold-colored diamond logo and 'ethereum' text is in the foreground, surrounded by several other gold and silver cryptocurrency tokens scattered on a dark, reflective surface. In the blurred background, a digital screen displays an upward-trending chart with glowing red and blue lines, indicating market fluctuations.

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Buterin’s known ETH sales have mainly gone toward funding projects. Arkham links his early 2026 sales to open-source software and privacy tools. The Ethereum Foundation’s treasury also operates separately from Buterin’s wallets, so the foundation’s sales don’t show up in his personal balance.

Buterin has also pushed back on price speculation. He has said the fee burn was never a price floor and has argued that AIs might favor Ethereum for its predictability. Separately, a fired employee sued the foundation and Buterin in November, but the claims remain allegations.

So How Much ETH Does Vitalik Buterin Hold?

Vitalik Buterin’s public wallets are estimated to hold around 224,000 ETH, worth about $447 million, based on Arkham’s May figure. This number could be lower if he has kept selling since then, and it doesn’t include ETH in wallets that aren’t publicly linked to him.

Ultimately, Buterin’s wallet activity is a weak signal for other holders. Insiders do sell, as Ripple’s David Schwartz did with over 90% of his crypto. However, Ethereum’s supply trend and its 200-day average price of $2,151, 7.8% above its price, may give a clearer view of where ETH heads next. A new Arkham update or a large transfer from his labeled wallets would be the first sign his balance has changed.

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Sam Daodu

Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst and the editor of 24/7 Wall St.'s Crypto Desk, where he covers Bitcoin, XRP, Ethereum, Solana and the altcoins investors search for most. His work focuses on price levels, spot ETF flows, on-chain data and the regulatory decisions that move crypto markets, written so a first-time buyer and a seasoned trader can both use it.
Sam has written about crypto professionally since 2019 and has published more than 2,000 articles. Before joining 24/7 Wall St., he wrote for crypto media outlets and Web3 companies and ghostwrote for crypto founders and token launches. His analysis is syndicated on Yahoo Finance, MSN and AOL and has been cited by other crypto news sites. He also founded MacLabs Marketing, a content and personal branding agency for crypto founders and executives.
When he isn't reading charts, Sam is usually at the gym or watching One Piece, a series he maintains has better tokenomics than most altcoins.

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