Ethereum developers proposed EIP-8363, a mechanism that would burn validator issuance and reduce net staking rewards to zero once 50-60% of ETH supply is staked. The proposal faced immediate opposition from industry figures including SharpLink CEO Joseph Chalom and was pulled from the Hegotá upgrade on August 6.
Six Ethereum researchers, including Ethereum Foundation's Justin Drake, have submitted EIP-8361 proposing to progressively burn validator rewards as staked ETH increases, potentially reducing issuance to zero when staking reaches approximately 60% of supply. The proposal has sparked debate within the community, with Ether.fi responding by removing restaking from its weETH token.
Six Ethereum researchers including Ethereum Foundation's Justin Drake have proposed EIP-8363, a 'Tapered Issuance Burn' mechanism that would progressively reduce validator rewards and burn consensus rewards as staked ETH increases, potentially cutting issuance to zero if staking reaches 50% of supply. The proposal has sparked backlash from critics who warn it could disadvantage solo stakers and impact DeFi activity.
Bitmine Immersion Technologies purchased 9,946 ETH last week, increasing its total Ethereum holdings to 5.787 million ETH valued at approximately $11.2-11.8 billion, representing 4.8% of Ethereum's circulating supply. The company's stock (NYSE: BMNR) surged 5-13% following the announcement, which also included share repurchases of 6.1 million shares.
Bitmine Immersion Technologies purchased 126,971 ETH for approximately $214 million during last week's market pullback, bringing its total holdings to 5.54 million ETH (4.59% of total supply) and achieving 92% of its 'Alchemy of 5%' accumulation goal.
A wallet linked to Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin transferred 80,001 ETH worth approximately $121 million across multiple transactions after remaining dormant for over three years, sparking concerns about founder selling as ETH approached $1,500.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin responded to community criticism by announcing the Ethereum Foundation will become a 'smaller ship' focused on CROPS (core research), sell less ETH, and expand its board to reduce his personal influence. The announcement comes amid an exodus of top researchers from the foundation.
The Ethereum Foundation completed its 70,000 ETH staking initiative with a $93 million single-day deposit, reaching $143 million in total staked ETH and ending its years-long practice of selling ETH to fund operations. The program, announced in February 2026, is projected to generate $3.9-$5.4 million annually in yield, replacing selling with earning and closing the loop on one of the community's most persistent grievances against the foundation.
