Ethereum Foundation Sells 5,000 ETH to Support Core Operations

Highlights:

• Ethereum Foundation sold 5,000 ETH to BitMine through a private OTC transaction.
• The sale will help fund research, development, ecosystem growth, and community grants.
• The sale follows the foundation’s treasury policy for planned operational funding.

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) said in a post on X that it completed a private over-the-counter (OTC) sale of 5,000 ETH, raising around $10.38 million. The tokens were sold at an average price of $2,042.96 each. As per the Foundation’s policy, the funds will support its core work, including protocol research, ecosystem development, community growth, and grants.

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0/ Today, the Ethereum Foundation finalized the terms of a 5,000 ETH sale at an average price of $2,042.96 via OTC.

For this sale, our OTC counterparty was @BitMNR.

— Ethereum Foundation (@ethereumfndn) March 14, 2026

Foundation Sells ETH to BitMine in Private Deal

OTC deals differ from open market sales because the trade happens privately between two parties. This method allows large crypto transactions to take place without causing sudden pressure on the broader market. Large holders often prefer OTC deals to reduce the risk of sharp price swings and limit the impact on normal daily trading activity. In this case, the Ethereum Foundation sold 5,000 ETH directly to crypto treasury firm Bitmine Immersion Technologies.

Led by Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee, BitMine (NYSE American: BMNR) is now the largest publicly traded company holding Ether as a treasury asset. The company said it holds 4,473,587 ETH, valued at around $9.9 billion when combined with cash and other assets. BitMine has been adding to its Ether reserves since mid-last year under a treasury plan focused on long-term accumulation.

The transaction also carries added importance because it was not the first deal of its kind. Earlier, in July, the foundation completed another direct OTC sale when it sold 10,000 ETH to SharpLink Gaming for about $25.7 million.

Ethereum Foundation Treasury Policy Behind the Sale

The sales follow the Ethereum Foundation’s treasury policy published in June last year. Under this policy, the foundation may sell ETH from time to time to maintain a fiat-denominated reserve for operations. The firm currently targets annual operating spending at 15% of its treasury and keeps a 2.5-year runway buffer. The goal is to make sure the foundation has enough stable funding for core work such as protocol research and development, ecosystem growth, and community grants. This means the latest OTC sale was part of a planned treasury strategy, not a sudden decision.

At the time of writing, ETH was trading at $2,086, down 2% in the past 24 hours. A recent CryptoQuant report has also added to the cautious outlook for ETH. The firm said Ethereum could fall toward $1,500 by late Q3 or early Q4 2026 if the bear market continues. It described the situation as an “adoption paradox,” where network usage keeps rising, but price remains weak. According to the report, daily active addresses and smart contract calls reached record highs last month, yet ETH is still down more than 50% from its cycle peak. This suggests that stronger on-chain activity alone has not been enough to lift the price, as broader market sentiment and capital flows remain weak.

CryptoQuant reports that Ethereum (ETH) prices are projected to decline to approximately $1,500 by late Q3 or early Q4 2026 if the bear market persists. The report identifies an "adoption paradox," citing a severe disconnect between network adoption and price performance. Despite…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 13, 2026

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