The Ethereum Foundation staked about $93 million in ether (ETH) on Thursday in multiple batches, bringing its total staked position to approximately $143 million and nearly completing the 70,000 ETH stake goal it announced in February, according to Arkham data.
The total deposit of 45,034 ETH was split into equal chunks of 2,047 ETH, each worth about $4.23 million, sent from the fund’s treasury multisig to the Eth2 Beacon Chain escrow contract.
At around $2,059 per ETH equals the total stake of $143 million to approximately 69,500 ETH, almost the entire 70,000 ETH commitment.
The fund had been building towards the goal incrementally since February, starting with an initial deposit of 2,016 ETH and adding around 20,470 ETH on Monday. Thursday’s batch covered the remaining balance in one shot.
The fund’s Arkham-tracked portfolio shows approximately $270.9 million in total assets across 14 addresses, with ETH as the dominant holding at around 102,400 ETH ($210.9 million). Smaller positions include USDC, BNB and a fraction of a bitcoin.
Dividend 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 interest returns.
At current stake rates, the position will generate about $3.9 million to $5.4 million annually at the 2.7% to 3.8% APY range typical of institutional participants. With MEV boost, the return could run higher.
That’s modest compared to the fund’s annual operating expenses, which have historically run close to $100 million, but it converts a dormant treasury into a productive one without selling ETH.
Why bet?
The Ethereum Foundation puts its ETH to work through stakes, earning rewards that help fund research, grants, and operations—all without having to sell its coins, creating a long-term, self-sustaining treasury.
This replaces the previous model where the fund resorted to ETH sales that outweighed valuations. The foundation faced criticism for the same throughout 2024 and early 2025.
With staking, the fund earns a dividend. However, the shift does not completely eliminate the need to sell entirely.
At the same time, reaching the goal of 70,000 ETH does not mean that the effort is over. The fund still has over 100,000 unspent ETH. Whether it expands the program beyond the original commitment or keeps the rest as cash reserves has not been announced.
Ether was trading at $2,059 at the time of the deposits, down about 4.3% over the past week.
