Ethereum News Today: Vitalik Buterin Regains Billionaire Status as ETH Surges 6.38% Past $4,000

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has once again joined the billionaire ranks following a sharp price increase in ETH that pushed it above $4,000 in early August 2025. According to onchain data from Arkham, Buterin’s portfolio is now valued at approximately $1.04 billion, with 240,042 ETH forming the core of his holdings [1]. This resurgence marks a return to the billionaire club for Buterin, a status he last held in May 2021 when ETH first crossed the $3,000 threshold [2].

Ethereum’s price rally has been fueled by strong institutional demand and renewed optimism among traders. Over the weekend, ETH climbed 6.38% to reach $4,332, a level not seen since December 2024. The upward momentum has coincided with Bitcoin’s declining market dominance and a broader shift in investor sentiment favoring Ethereum-based assets [1]. Notably, Ethereum-focused ETFs recorded $461 million in inflows on Friday, outpacing Bitcoin ETFs, which saw $404 million in total flows [1].

Analysts have pointed to potential further gains, with some suggesting that a retest of Ethereum’s all-time high of $4,878 from November 2021 is on the horizon. Crypto analyst Ted, for instance, described such a move as “just a matter of days now,” citing the breakout from key resistance levels as a sign of strengthening market confidence [1].

Buterin, however, has remained cautious about the risks associated with the recent surge. In a recent interview, he warned that excessive leverage in corporate treasuries holding large ETH reserves could pose long-term challenges for the network. “If you woke me up three years from now and told me that treasuries led to the downfall of ETH… my guess would basically be that somehow they turned it into an overleveraged game,” he said [1].

Ethereum’s price trajectory has also been supported by growing adoption and institutional investments. BitMine Immersion Technologies, a firm chaired by Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, recently added 208,137 ETH to its reserves, boosting its total holdings to over 833,000 ETH valued at more than $3 billion. This move solidifies BitMine’s position as the top Ethereum-holding treasury firm [1].

While Buterin first entered the billionaire bracket in May 2021, he revealed in 2018 that his net worth had never come close to $1 billion prior to that time. At the peak of the 2021 rally, he held roughly 333,500 ETH, valued at about $1.029 billion [1].

Ethereum’s latest price surge underscores its enduring role as a foundational asset in the blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems. With continued institutional inflows and speculative momentum, Ethereum remains a central figure in the evolving crypto market.

Sources:

[1] Vitalik Buterin Back in Billionaire Club as ETH Tops $4K (Cryptonews - https://cryptonews.com/news/vitalik-buterin-back-in-billionaire-club-as-eth-tops-4k/)

[2] Vitalik Buterin Regains Billionaire Status As Ethereum Hits Multi-Year Highs (CoinGecko - https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/ethereum/ars)