Ethereum Foundation secures an additional $93 million in ether, achieving its goal of 70,000 ETH.

The foundation executed the majority of its intended staking commitment in a single transaction, finalizing a program revealed in February aimed at transforming inactive treasury assets into a yield-earning position.

What to know:

• The Ethereum Foundation has now staked approximately $143 million worth of ether, effectively achieving its previously declared target of 70,000 ETH staking.
• This transition moves the foundation away from the regular sale of ETH to cover its estimated $100 million in yearly expenses, shifting toward generating staking yields estimated between $3.9 million and $5.4 million annually instead.
• Even with the new staking initiative, the foundation retains more than 100,000 ETH that remains unstaked, and has not disclosed whether it will broaden its staking efforts beyond the initial commitment or retain the remainder as liquid assets.

The Ethereum Foundation staked around $93 million in ether (ETH) on Thursday in multiple transactions, resulting in a total staked position of about $143 million, nearly fulfilling the 70,000 ETH staking objective it announced in February, based on Arkham data.

The total deposit of 45,034 ETH was divided into equal portions of 2,047 ETH, each valued at approximately $4.23 million, transferred from the foundation’s treasury multisig to the Eth2 Beacon Chain deposit contract.

At an approximate price of $2,059 per ETH, the total staked position of $143 million equates to around 69,500 ETH, nearly completing the full 70,000 ETH commitment.

The foundation has been gradually working toward this target since February, commencing with an initial deposit of 2,016 ETH and adding about 20,470 ETH on Monday. Thursday’s deposits finalized the outstanding amount in one go.

The foundation’s portfolio, tracked by Arkham, indicates total assets of roughly $270.9 million spread across 14 addresses, with ETH as the primary asset at about 102,400 ETH ($210.9 million). Additional holdings include USDC, BNB, and a small portion of bitcoin.

Yield income

Staking involves locking cryptocurrency to assist in securing a blockchain and earning rewards. It is similar to purchasing bonds and lending to the government for fixed income returns.

At the current staking rates, this position is expected to yield approximately $3.9 million to $5.4 million annually, based on the 2.7% to 3.8% APY range typical for institutional stakers. With the inclusion of MEV-boost, returns could potentially be higher.

While this yield is modest in comparison to the foundation’s annual operating costs, which have historically been close to $100 million, it effectively transforms a dormant treasury into an active one without necessitating the sale of ETH.

Why staking?

The Ethereum Foundation is utilizing its ETH through staking, generating rewards that support research, grants, and operations — all without the need to liquidate its assets, thus establishing a long-term, self-sustaining treasury.

This approach replaces the previous model where the foundation relied on ETH sales that impacted market valuations. The foundation faced scrutiny for this practice throughout 2024 and early 2025.

Through staking, the foundation is able to earn yield. However, this transition does not completely remove the necessity to sell assets in the future.

Moreover, achieving the 70,000 ETH goal does not signify the end of staking. The foundation continues to hold over 100,000 ETH that remains unstaked. It has yet to announce whether it will extend the staking program beyond the initial commitment or maintain the remainder as liquid assets.

At the time of the deposits, Ether was trading at $2,059, reflecting a decline of approximately 4.3% over the preceding week.