Vitalik Buterin’s On-Chain Portfolio Surpasses $1 Billion as Ether Rallies

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s on-chain portfolio has surged past the $1 billion mark, fueled by Ether’s recent price rally, according to blockchain intelligence firm Arkham.

Currently valued at approximately $1.04 billion, Buterin’s holdings underscore his continued dominance in the Ethereum ecosystem.

The largest share of his portfolio consists of around 240,042 ETH, cementing Ethereum as the foundation of his wealth.

In addition to ETH, Buterin also holds smaller allocations of tokens such as Aave Ethereum, WhiteRock, Moo Deng, and Wrapped Ethereum.

Ether’s price continued its upward momentum over the weekend, peaking at $4,332 on Saturday after reclaiming the critical $4,000 threshold on Friday. At the time of reporting, ETH was trading near $4,244.

This rise comes as Bitcoin’s market dominance weakens and traders renew their bullish outlook on Ethereum.

Crypto analyst Ted has forecast that ETH’s all-time high of $4,878 from November 2021 could be retested in the coming days, calling it “just a matter of days now.”

Market data indicates that if ETH reaches $4,500, it could trigger a significant short squeeze, with CoinGlass estimating $1.35 billion worth of short positions at risk of liquidation.

Institutional interest in Ether appears to be accelerating. ETH-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $461 million in inflows on Friday, surpassing Bitcoin ETFs, which attracted $404 million.

Over the last five trading sessions, U.S. spot Ether ETFs have seen net inflows of $326.6 million, compared to $253.2 million for Bitcoin ETFs.

Buterin first entered billionaire status in May 2021 when Ether crossed $3,000 for the first time. At the time, he held roughly 333,500 ETH, valued at around $1.029 billion, after the cryptocurrency quadrupled in price from $700 at the start of the year.

He previously stated in 2018 that he never controlled more than 0.9% of ETH’s total supply and that his net worth had “never come close” to $1 billion until the 2021 rally.

Caution Amid the ETH Treasury Boom

Despite Ethereum’s bullish price action and growing institutional interest, Buterin has urged caution over the rapid expansion of ETH-heavy corporate treasuries.

In a recent interview, he warned of the risks excessive leverage could pose to the market, suggesting that overextended treasuries might contribute to instability.

“If you woke me up three years from now and told me that treasuries led to the downfall of ETH, my guess would be that somehow they turned it into an overleveraged game.”

On the institutional front, BitMine Immersion Technologies recently added 208,137 ETH to its reserves, bringing its total to 833,137 ETH—worth more than $3 billion.

Led by Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, BitMine Immersion now holds the largest Ethereum treasury among corporate entities and ranks fourth globally across all cryptocurrency treasuries.

This growing accumulation reflects deepening institutional confidence in Ethereum’s long-term potential.

Together, the rise in ETH’s price, Buterin’s substantial on-chain holdings, and surging institutional inflows signal a pivotal moment for the next phase of Ethereum’s evolution.