The Ethereum Foundation staked approximately $93 million in ether (ETH) on Thursday in multiple lots, bringing its total staked position to approximately $143 million and nearly completing the 70,000 ETH staking goal it announced in February, according to Arkham data.
The total deposit of 45,034 ETH was divided into even portions of 2,047 ETH, each worth approximately $4.23 million, sent from the foundation’s treasury multisig to the Eth2 Beacon Chain deposit contract.
At approximately $2,059 per ETH, the total staked position of $143 million is equivalent to approximately 69,500 ETH, almost the entire commitment of 70,000 ETH.
The base had been moving towards the target incrementally since February, starting with an initial deposit of 2,016 ETH and adding approximately 20,470 ETH on Monday. Thursday’s batch covered the remaining balance in one go.
The foundation portfolio tracked by Arkham shows approximately $270.9 million in total assets across 14 addresses, with ETH as the dominant holding with approximately 102,400 ETH ($210.9 million). Smaller positions include USDC, BNB and a fraction of bitcoin.
Performance income
Staking is the process of locking cryptocurrency to help secure a blockchain and earn rewards. It is analogous to buying bonds and lending money to the government in exchange for fixed income returns.
At current stake rates, the position would generate approximately $3.9 million to $5.4 million annually in the 2.7% to 3.8% APY range typical for institutional bettors. With the momentum of the MEV, the profitability could be higher.
This is modest relative to the foundation’s annual operating expenses, which have historically been around $100 million, but it turns a dormant treasury into a productive one without selling ETH.
Why bet?
The Ethereum Foundation is putting its ETH to work through staking, earning rewards that help fund research, grants, and operations, all without needing to sell its coins, creating a long-term, self-sustaining treasury.
This replaces the previous model where the foundation resorted to ETH sales that weighed on valuations. The foundation faced criticism for the same until 2024 and early 2025.
By betting, the foundation obtains a return. The change, however, does not completely eliminate the need to sell entirely.
At the same time, completing the 70,000 ETH goal does not mean that the bet has been placed. The foundation still holds over 100,000 unstaked ETH. It has not been announced whether it will expand the program beyond the initial commitment or keep the remainder as liquid reserves.
Ether was trading at $2,059 at the time of deposits, down about 4.3% from last week.
