Buterin's Sales: A $6.7M Flow in a $250B Market

Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin sold 2,961.5 ETH at an average price of around $2,228 over the past three days, a flow of roughly $6.7 million. This activity is part of a larger $44.7 million personal fund withdrawal for the Ethereum Foundation, not an exit from the asset.

The sale occurred as the price was near $2,013, a level that shows a nearly 60% crash from the August high. This context is critical: the flow is a targeted liquidity move, not a signal of founder panic in a fragile market.

The Flow: Selling into a Downtrend

Vitalik Buterin sold his ETH at an average price of around $2,228 over the past three days. That price is well above the current level near $2,013, indicating he sold into a clear downtrend. The daily trading volume of $56.45 billion shows the $6.7 million flow is a tiny fraction of total market liquidity.

Technical indicators confirm the weakness. The daily CMF remains firmly negative, signaling sustained capital outflows. The negative DMI line continues to hold above the positive one, while an ADX near 39 confirms a strong, well-defined downtrend. This structure makes a swift recovery to prior highs unlikely.

The Outlook: Watching the $45M Plan and Key Levels

The critical watchpoint is the Ethereum Foundation's spending plan for the $45 million in ETH Buterin has earmarked. If deployed to fund high-visibility, value-accruing projects, it could support price by signaling long-term commitment. However, any perceived misallocation or failure to show tangible progress would likely be viewed as a capital drain, creating future selling pressure as the fund is gradually deployed.

The immediate technical level to monitor is $2,000. A sustained break below this psychological and recent support level would confirm the downtrend's strength, likely triggering further de-risking and extending the sell-off. The current firm downtrend with negative flows makes a swift recovery unlikely, but the path of least resistance remains down.

For stronger signals, investors should track whale accumulation data and ETF flows. These aggregate, institutional-level movements are far more telling than a single founder's sales. The $6.7 million flow is a noise point within a $250 billion market; the real story will be in the broader liquidity and ownership shifts.