Ether dips as Buterin sells; BMNR buys 51K ETH

Why Vitalik Buterin Is Selling Ethereum (ETH) Again and What It Means

Vitalik Buterin has resumed selling Ethereum  ETH -1.46% , with recent transactions totaling about $3.67 million over two days and roughly $16 million across February, according to CCN. The cadence of these disposals has drawn attention because they arrived during broader market weakness.

His stated rationale centers on funding public-goods initiatives rather than personal profit, with allocations across open-source software, AI safety, biotech, and privacy-oriented hardware, as reported by BSC News. In early February, tracking of his wallets showed a 16,384 ETH withdrawal earmarked for longer-term projects in those categories, the outlet noted.

Immediate Market Impact: Ethereum Price Pressure, Liquidity, and Sentiment

Near term, the direct liquidity effect of these sales appears limited relative to Ethereum’s aggregate trading volumes, but the signaling effect can be meaningful for sentiment, as discussed by DailyCoin. Founder-linked selling during drawdowns tends to amplify short-term volatility and headline risk, even if the absolute size is modest at the market scale.

At the time of this writing, Ethereum (ETH) traded near $1,863.43, with sentiment flagged as bearish and 14-day RSI around 35, and volatility described as very high. Spot levels remain below the 50-day and 200-day simple moving averages, indicating weakened momentum versus recent trends.

Exchange and staking flows have also been highlighted alongside the sales. “Vitalik Buterin accelerates ETH sales as Binance inflows rise and staking demand weakens, increasing short-term pressure on Ethereum’s price,” as reported by BeInCrypto.

Context and Outlook: Institutional Flows, Binance Inflows, Support Levels

Institutional accumulation versus Vitalik’s sales: net flow context

Institutional appetite has been active alongside founder selling. Benzinga reported BitMine Immersion Technologies (NYSE: BMNR) purchased 51,162 ETH for approximately $98 million while Buterin sold 1,869 ETH, illustrating that large-ticket accumulation can offset pockets of supply.

Interpreting net flows requires caution. One-off institutional blocks may cushion price temporarily, but the durability of support depends on whether such demand persists as macro liquidity, regulatory posture, and risk appetite evolve.

Binance inflows, staking demand, and ETH support levels to watch

Monitoring exchange inflows to Binance can help frame potential near-term sell-side liquidity, while softer staking demand can increase circulating supply. In that context, traders often reassess liquidity pockets and order-book depth during episodes of founder-linked selling.

For technical context, analysts have flagged resistance around $2,000–$2,250 and support in the $1,900–$1,800 zone, according to TradingNews. These levels may shift with volatility and news flow, so they are best treated as reference areas rather than fixed thresholds.