Vitalik Buterin Back in Billionaire Club as ETH Tops $4K

Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin has returned to the billionaire ranks after Ether’s surge past $4,000, a milestone last seen in December 2024.

Key Takeaways:

• Vitalik Buterin’s onchain portfolio has surpassed $1B as ETH rallies past $4,000.
• Traders eye a potential retest of ETH’s $4,878 all-time high.
• Ether ETFs are seeing stronger inflows than Bitcoin ETFs, signaling growing institutional interest in ETH.

Blockchain intelligence firm Arkham reported on Saturday that Buterin’s onchain portfolio is now valued at around $1.04 billion, with 240,042 ETH as its core holding.

The Ethereum mastermind also holds smaller allocations in tokens such as Aave Ethereum (AETHWETH), WhiteRock (WHITE), Moo Deng (MOODENG), and Wrapped Ethereum (WETH).

Ether extended its rally over the weekend, climbing another 6.38% on Saturday to hit $4,332 after reclaiming the $4,000 mark on Friday. At press time, ETH is trading at $4,244.

The price momentum has coincided with Bitcoin’s declining market dominance and renewed optimism from traders.

Some, like crypto analyst Ted, believe a retest of the November 2021 all-time high of $4,878 is imminent, describing it as “just a matter of days now.”

I told you that the $ETH breakout is coming.

And it happened exactly as predicted.

Ethereum has smashed through its resistance and is now heading higher.

It feels like a new ATH is just a matter of days now. pic.twitter.com/XCxetoP0Ku

Market data indicates that a move to $4,500 could trigger a significant short squeeze. CoinGlass estimates that around $1.35 billion worth of short positions could be liquidated if that level is reached.

Arkham also pointed to an emerging shift in ETF flows favoring Ether over Bitcoin. On Friday, ETH-focused ETFs recorded $461 million in total flows, outpacing Bitcoin ETFs at $404 million.

Over the last five trading sessions, US spot Ether ETFs have logged $326.6 million in net inflows, compared to $253.2 million for Bitcoin ETFs, according to Farside data.

Buterin first entered the billionaire bracket in May 2021, when ETH crossed $3,000 for the first time.

At the time, he held roughly 333,500 ETH, worth about $1.029 billion, after the asset had quadrupled from $700 at the start of that year.

However, he disclosed in 2018 that he had never controlled more than 0.9% of the ETH supply and his net worth had “never came close” to $1 billion until that 2021 rally.

While ETH’s latest run has been bolstered by institutional inflows and corporate treasuries holding Ether, Buterin has voiced caution over the trend.

In a recent interview, he warned that excessive leverage within ETH treasuries could pose long-term risks.

“If you woke me up three years from now and told me that treasuries led to the downfall of ETH… my guess would basically be that somehow they turned it into an overleveraged game,” he said.

Last week, BitMine Immersion Technologies, chaired by Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, added 208,137 ETH to its growing crypto reserves, boosting its total holdings to 833,137 ETH, now worth over $3 billion.

The move cements BitMine’s position as the top Ethereum-holding treasury firm and places it fourth among global crypto treasuries overall.

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