Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has committed approximately 16,384 ETH, valued at around $45 million, to support a broad range of open-source security, privacy, and public technology projects. The funds were withdrawn from his personal holdings and are intended to be deployed gradually over the coming years.
The move comes as the Ethereum Foundation enters what Buterin described as a period of “mild austerity,” aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability while continuing work on scalability, decentralization, and user self-sovereignty. Buterin characterized the contribution as his personal share of that transition, taking on initiatives that were previously considered non-core projects.
Building a Verifiable Open-Source Technology Stack
The ETH allocation will fund what Buterin calls a “full stack” of open-source software and hardware. Planned focus areas include financial infrastructure, secure communications, governance tools, operating systems, trusted hardware, and emerging biotech applications related to personal and public health.
Buterin also noted that he is exploring decentralized staking mechanisms, with the goal of directing future staking rewards toward the ongoing funding of these initiatives.
While expanding his personal involvement, Buterin emphasized that Ethereum remains central to this vision. Core protocol development will continue to prioritize real-world users and privacy-preserving tools, reinforcing Ethereum’s role as a foundation for open, verifiable, and user-controlled digital systems.
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