On April 26, 2026, the Ethereum Foundation deposited 17,035 wstETH into Lido's unstETH contract — just short of its 70,000 ETH staking target and days after its Bitmine sale — sparking community speculation about an impending sell-off. No confirmed sale had occurred at time of reporting.
The Ethereum Foundation sold 10,000 ETH to Bitmine Immersion Technologies via OTC at $2,387/ETH (~$23.87M) on April 24, 2026, to fund operations. The sale, the second to Bitmine in two months, drew community criticism over the Foundation's silence on broader DeFi recovery efforts.
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.
The Ethereum Foundation deployed approximately 20,470 ETH ($42-46 million) to the Beacon Chain across 11 coordinated deposits on Monday, marking one of the largest visible batches in recent months as it accelerates a 70,000 ETH staking initiative.
The Ethereum Foundation faced sustained community criticism throughout 2024 and into early 2025 for regularly selling ETH to cover its approximately $100 million in annual operating expenses, averaging a sale every 11 days in 2024. Each transaction sparked accusations of market manipulation and misalignment with Ethereum's values, fueling broader calls for governance reform and serving as a key catalyst for the leadership crisis that followed.
