Vitalik Buterin Holds $467M in ETH, Largest Accessible Individual Holder

Arkham’s investigation, published on February 17, establishes Vitalik Buterin as the most significant accessible individual holder of Ethereum (ETH), with 240,010 tokens valued at roughly $467 million. This represents about 0.20% of the total circulating supply, a notable decline from his holdings in December 2015, which amounted to 662,810 ETH or 0.91% of the supply at the time. The reduction stems from a combination of periodic sales and the network’s inflationary supply increases over the past decade.

Beyond his core ETH position, Buterin’s portfolio includes smaller allocations to several other tokens, reflecting a diverse but relatively minor set of interests. These include 10 billion WHITE tokens (worth about $1.16 million), 30 billion MOODENG tokens (valued at approximately $442,000), and 869,509 KNC tokens. Notably, his holdings also include roughly $11,000 in Tornado Cash’s TORN token, which Arkham links to past usage of the privacy mixer for charitable donations, including funds sent to Ukraine.

This portfolio composition underscores a critical point: over 99% of Buterin’s known net worth remains directly tied to the performance of Ethereum. Unlike many other cryptocurrency founders who have accumulated substantial equity stakes in centralized companies, Buterin’s wealth is almost entirely liquid and intrinsically linked to the decentralized network he co-created. His financial origins trace back to the 2014 Ethereum pre-sale, where founders received 16.53% of the initial 72 million ETH supply, and a pivotal $100,000 Thiel Fellowship grant that enabled him to leave university and focus full-time on development.

Recent on-chain activity detailed by Arkham shows Buterin’s transactions aligning closely with his public statements and commitments. In late January 2026, he executed a significant withdrawal of 16,384 ETH, worth around $43 million at current prices. This move was explicitly to support open-source infrastructure development, following his announcement that the Ethereum Foundation is entering a period of “mild austerity.” Buterin has personally assumed funding responsibilities for certain projects to ensure the Foundation’s long-term sustainability.

Subsequent activity in early February involved the strategic sale of approximately 2,961 ETH over three days, valued at about $6.6 million. Arkham’s analysis indicates these sales were routed through the CoW Protocol, utilizing small swaps to minimize their impact on the broader market. This careful approach to liquidity management contrasts with the perception of crypto whales causing market volatility and highlights a methodical financial strategy.

These transactions occur within the context of Buterin’s volatile wealth trajectory. His net worth peaked at $2.09 billion in November 2021 when ETH crossed $3,000, briefly granting him billionaire status. The subsequent bear market erased close to 75% of that value by December 2022. A recovery in 2025, which saw ETH reach an all-time high near $5,000, pushed his net worth back above $1 billion in August of that year. Recent market corrections, however, have brought ETH below $2,000 and his portfolio valuation back to current levels.

While Buterin ranks as the largest accessible individual holder, Arkham’s assessment reveals that institutions and exchanges dominate the top tiers of Ethereum ownership. The ETH2 beacon deposit contract holds over 60% of the total supply. Major entities like Binance, BlackRock, and Coinbase are among the largest holders, reflecting Ethereum’s maturation into an institutional-grade asset.

A poignant case in the individual holder category is that of Rain Lohmus, who possesses 250,000 ETH worth an estimated $786 million—technically making him the single largest individual holder. However, as Lohmus publicly acknowledged in 2023, these funds are entirely inaccessible due to lost private keys. This stark reality underscores the unique risks of self-custody in the crypto ecosystem and solidifies Buterin’s position as the foremost individual with both a massive stake and the ability to transact with it.

The Arkham investigation provides a crucial, data-driven snapshot of Ethereum’s ownership distribution. It moves beyond speculation to show a landscape where foundational creators like Vitalik Buterin maintain significant, yet responsibly managed, stakes, while the bulk of the network’s value is secured in institutional and staking contracts. Buterin’s portfolio, his strategic sales, and his funding of development work illustrate a model where a founder’s wealth remains deeply operational and committed to the ecosystem’s health, rather than merely speculative.